To Confide in a Demon
by My Eternal Anguish
Summary: Sesshomaru wants answers to his questions. Who better to answer them than his half-brother's miko, Kagome? He learns more about her each time they meet . What he doesn't expect is what he learns about himself. This is how curiosity killed the the great dog of the west.
1. Chapter 1

It had all started with a curious demon and a talkative miko.

Chapter 1: A Rather Long Explanation

Kagome hadn't even noticed it was not Inuyasha's hand that grabbed hers and pulled her over the wells wooden structure until she stood face to face with none other than Sesshomaru. She gaped dumbly at the unexpected taiyoukai before clearing her throat nervously.

"Oh, um, hi." She managed out, "What are you doing here?"

"This one was passing through when your scent seemed to appear out of nowhere," he said in his usual cold tone. "Explain how a simple human girl has the ability to do so."

Kagome would have rolled her eyes if anyone other than the ruthless killer standing before her had asked this question. She thought carefully on how to respond. "Oh, you see… that is kind of a long story, Sesshomaru." She replied hoping he wouldn't push her for a better answer. He did.

"I have time." He said casually before taking a seat upon the well and staring at her expectantly.

The priestess let out a sigh of defeat before taking a seat in the grass and began to speak. "The well is a time portal." She tried to shorten the explanation as much as possible, not liking the idea of Inuyasha coming to find her while she was sitting down and having a chat with his hated half-brother. The thought sent chills down her spine. "You see, I am from the future and this well here connects me to this world."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He obviously wasn't satisfied with that answer and she decided to just explain the whole thing as quickly as she could. She told him about the future and how she was pulled through the well by the Lady Centipede and how the sacred jewel was torn from her body. Then she told him about her first meeting with Inuyasha and how he had tried to attack her. It wasn't long before she was rambling on about accidentally shattering the Shikon No Tama and her endeavors to make it whole again.

When Kagome finally finished talking, she realized she had told Sesshomaru far more than he had asked of her. She cursed herself for being such a chatterbox and got to her feet. "Oh wow, I really got carried away there." Kagome said blushing prettily and turning away. "I am sorry to hold you up, Sesshomaru. I think I should probably get going now though."

Sesshomaru watched her hoist her heavy bag over her shoulder wordlessly and turn to him with a polite smile. "This was actually kind of nice." She said before turning to leave. "You are actually a great listener. Anyways, goodbye!"

The demon watched the miko walk away from him with much to contemplate. She turned out to be far more informative than he had expected. He had merely asked her one question and received many answers regarding subjects he had been rather curious about in the past. Who would have known that the clumsy girl who accompanied his half-brother would know so much on these matters? He almost scoffed when Kagome nearly tripped over a small rock and angrily kicked it away, hurting her toe.

Had the Shikon jewel really been expelled from this silly human's body? He saw no reason for her to lie about such things. "Miko." Sesshomaru's voice seemed to startle Kagome. She jumped and turned around to face him questioningly. "You will return here tomorrow at this time."

Kagome opened her mouth to decline his rather demanding invitation but before she could do so, he was gone. She stood there with her mouth hanging open for a few moments before frowning and turning around to walk towards Kaede's village once more.

'What a strange day.' She thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

At first, Kagome felt relief upon hearing of the rumors escalating in Edo about a half-demon in possession of jewel shards heading far north. She was sure this gossip might actually be in regards to Naraku and, even if it wasn't, there was still a jewel shard thrown in the mix so their efforts would not be for nothing if they were to go after this mysterious hanyou.

It was only until the priestess realized what going after these rumors meant for her little 'meeting' with a certain demanding taiyoukai.

She watched with disinterest as her friends went about their usual antics. Inuyasha and Shippo were arguing and fussing over sweets Kagome had brought for Shippo. Sango was sitting a few feet away from Miroku with her giant boomerang laid out in front of her, tending to the massive weapon with car. Miroku watched her silently, his hand inching closer and closer to her behind. She was glad they all seemed so involved in what they were doing so they didn't notice her current distraction.

'It never even occurred to me that if we go after the shard, then I won't be here tomorrow night to meet with Sesshomaru!' Kagome contemplated while she chewed her bottom lip nervously. 'I can't imagine the guy taking too kindly to being blown off…' She involuntarily trembled at the thought. She had to think of something and fast.

"Uh, hey, Inuyasha," Kagome finally spoke up grabbing the half-demon's attention from a pile of candy he had managed to get away from Shippo.

"Yeah, what?" he asked in his usual rough manner. Kagome sighed softly. She just knew this was going to start a big fight.

"SIT!"

Everyone cringed at the impact Inuyasha had in the dirt.

"SIT SIT SIT!" Kagome shrieked, "Oh my god, Inuyasha! YOU HAVE SO MUCH NERVE!"

The said hanyou struggled and rolled around on the ground. He let out a pained grunt before looking up to Kagome with a hateful expression. "THE FUCK?!" he shouted back at the enraged miko. "YOU'RE the one who says you can't come find the jewel with us because you have _'feminine problems'_, whatever the fuck that means so shut up, you brat!"

"That does not give you a right to make comments about my _smell_, Inuyasha!" she gritted out venomously. She couldn't believe he would utter such a disturbing piece of information! Who knew that Inuyasha could.. erm.. _smell_ when she was menstruating anyway. Her face flashed a bright red at the thought. What the heck did something like _that_ smell like anyway?!

Inuyasha pulled himself from the ground with effort. "All I said was it don't smell like you're in heat, you fucking bitch!" he yelled at her whilst dusting off his fire rat kimono. Kagome scowled prettily as she watched him recover from his connection with the earth. "Fact is, we just waited three whole days for you to come back from your time and now you don't even wanna go after the shards! You're holding us back as usual!"

Kagome felt a little guilty. She hated lying but she didn't want to because Sesshomaru's next victim and she sure as hell couldn't come out and explain to Inuyasha that she had to go meet with him the following night either. She had to figure something out.

The Following Night

She sat alone by the well. She was glad she could come to a compromise with her friends. She convinced them to go ahead and leave Kirara behind with her so that after 'collecting herbs that would remedy her menstrual cramps' she could catch up with them. She shook her head in annoyance. Why did she have to make up such a stupid excuse as to why she needed to stay back anyway?

The faint sound of rustling in the forest behind her caught her attention and then his aura filled the clearing and she was certain she could feel him standing there behind her. She didn't turn to face him. She simply grabbed on to the wood of the well and looked down at her feet feeling suddenly very insignificant under his scrutiny. She could feel his cold eyes regarding her most likely with contempt.

"You know…" she stared, "I went through hell and back to meet you here tonight." It didn't take long before she felt him standing at her side and she cast him a sideways glance before adding. "You're brother isn't exactly the most understanding of guys, you know. I sure hope this is good, Sesshomaru!"

"Miko," Sesshomaru interrupted her complaining. "There are more important matters to be discussed."

Kagome gaped at the stoic demon lord as he took a seat beside her on the well. "I'd like to know… where is Naraku?"

Kagome should have seen that one coming. She would have laughed at his attempt on any other day but on this day she actually had information she could offer him and why not, right? They were all after the same guy. What did it matter to her who found and killed Naraku as long as it got done? She had no doubt in Sesshomaru's abilities.

With her mind made up, she began talking.

**Okays not the best chapter yet but it's a turning point. None of my stories are really getting the responses I feel they deserve so I'm going to be uploading smaller chapters at a time and updates are going to be less often in hopes of getting a few more reviews per chapter. Anyways, thank you to everyone who has left feedback and I hope you enjoy this installment. I will have the next chapter to this story up soon, promise! **

**MEA**


	3. Chapter 3

"And so I took the ramen back, sat Inuyasha into oblivion and went back home to my side of the well." Kagome concluded.

"Hn."

Kagome suddenly became very aware of the time. '_Shoot_!' she thought, 'I've done it _again_!' She cleared her throat after a few awkward moments between she and the silent daiyoukai passed. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru," she managed out with a faint blush, "I… um…"

"_Got carried away?"_ he finished for her with only a trace of humor in his tone.

Her blush deepened and she slowly nodded before fidgeting uncomfortably. How had she begun ranting about Inuyasha to Sesshomaru anyway? More importantly, why hadn't he stopped her? It couldn't be that he was actually _interested_ in her petty ramblings, right? She bit her lip nervously and turned back to Sesshomaru.

He looked so regal under the darkening sky, with the starlight dancing across his features. A soft breeze swept long silvery tresses over a broad shoulder. His pale skin seemed to glow even brighter than the moon that hung overhead accentuating the magenta markings adorning his perfect face. Kagome's heart skipped a beat at the sight. 'Wait… the _moon_?!'

"Crap!" she startled and jumped up to collect her belongings and be on her way. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I'm supposed to meet up with the others and it's already dark… I hope you weren't too bored listening to me. I guess your lack of response causes me to just ramble on and on and on and…." She stopped herself, blushing again, and turned to him with finality. "Anyways, thanks for your… uh.. patience. I hope the information I gave you earlier helped."

Sesshomaru stood up as well and ran a clawed hand through silky strands of hair almost casually. "Go ahead and meet with your friends." He finally spoke. Kagome silently fumed. '_As if I needed his permission to do that_…' she thought dryly. "I will be close by since we are both traveling in the same direction."

"Oh," she responded politely regardless of her previous annoyance, "So maybe I'll see you around then."

"Count on it, miko."

Kagome once again was left staring at an empty space where an inuyoukai once stood. She stared in disbelief and then shook her head and hurried back to the village to get Kirara so they could be on their way. 'Sesshomaru said I should count on running into him again?' she wondered as she jogged through Inuyasha's forest, trying to make it to the village before it got too dark and she lost her way, 'I wonder if he intends to have another meeting like this.'

**I'm so sorry for the late update, guys! My laptop decided that right while I was in the middle of writing three stories to just stop working. I am currently visiting my dad's and am using his laptop so I am going to try to write and upload as much as I can while I'm here. I can't promise speedy updates after that though until I get my laptop looked at and fixed. Thank you for your reviews and patience! I love you guys! **

**MEA**


	4. Chapter 4

"I knew something was up when you were complaining about menstrual cramps!" Sango said as she splashed around in the pond she and Kagome were bathing in. She dipped into the water briefly to rinse her hair and then popped back up facing her friend with a grin. "That was a pretty obvious lie, Kagome. We cycle together, remember?"

"I think you're missing the point, Sango!" Kagome blurted out as she sat against the rocky shore. She had already washed up and was enjoying a nice soak now and also taking the opportunity to confide in her good friend. "Sesshomaru has pretty much been wringing me for information_… Sesshomaru_!"

"Yeah, that's not a huge shock, Kagome." Sango admitted. "I mean, why wouldn't he? You can never keep a secret for very long. Admit it, you are kind of a blabbermouth."

"Am not!" Kagome denied although she knew it to be true. She crossed her arms over her bare chest and pouted at Sango's good-natured accusation. "Anyways, he said to expect to see him again soon."

"Wait…" Sango's face took on a more serious expression. "Does that mean he might be following you?"

"I guess so." Kagome shrugged. "I mean, I told him about the rumors we're following and he said we're heading in the same direction anyway, so…" her voice trailed off and she gave it some serious thought.

Surely Sesshomaru was following the same rumor she shared with him but that didn't necessarily mean he was following _her_. Then again, he seemed pretty intent on having another 'little chat' in the near future. So maybe he was just keeping her on his radar for when he needed more information. She huffed as she realized that once again she was somebody's tool. First a shard detector and now a confidential informant!

"So why all the secrecy anyway?" Sango asked as she floated towards the shore to relax beside Kagome. "I guess I can see why you don't want Inuyasha to know…"

"That's exactly why he can't know!" Kagome hissed, "Whatever you do, please don't share this with anyone, okay?"

Sango hesitated but eventually nodded her agreement. "You know it will be worse for you if he finds out on his own."

"But he won't do that." Kagome said confidently. "Sesshomaru is pretty crafty. I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered with fighting Inuyasha just as much as I don't want to be bothered with it so I trust that he'll keep our encounters concealed… somehow."

"Well I hope for your sake." Sango chuckled.

"I'm turning into a prune." Kagome announced. "I'm gonna dry off and head back to camp. They had been traveling only for two days since her last meeting with Sesshomaru and it was weighing heavy on her mind. Had she betrayed Inuyasha by sharing the details of their endeavors with him? To her it really didn't matter if he knew but to Inuyasha… it was different. She also felt bad for having to ;sneak around and lie. She really wasn't eager to get cornered by Sesshomaru again and forced into a one-sided conversation. She especially didn't want to ramble on like she always did. It was actually pretty embarrassing.

Sesshomaru watched the miko emerge from the water and quickly wrap her wet body in what appeared to be a large cloth. So it seems she hadn't been making up the rumor. He had originally followed her to ensure that she was telling him the truth and now he could be confident in the fact that she would be honest with him. Her taijiya friend had only confirmed the obvious when she called the girl a… what was the word? A… _'blabbermouth'_.

He was satisfied with the information he gathered upon watching the women bathe. Normally it would be considered dishonorable to watch women in such a vulnerable state but considering he had no attraction to ningen women, he was unaffected by that notion. He walked from the pond confidently and back towards his entourage.

He would have to arrange another meeting with the talkative priestess very soon. While he hated to admit it, he even found her digressions very entertaining to listen to. He would honor her trust in him to keep Inuyasha uninformed of their encounters. He, himself, could understand not wanting the hanyou's involvement. The foolish half-breed did nothing to improve any situation. It surely would end in chaos as it always did where the half-breed was concerned.

It was only a matter of time before the girl named Kagome would be alone again, and then he would approach her.

**Sorry for the filler chapter but it's just how I write. I like to take my time and build it up a little, you know? Anyway, I've been writing these chapters rather quickly so I'm sorry for any errors and stuff. Ya know… **

**Thanks for following and reviewing, loves! I will update as much as I can as soon as I can so long as I have your interest. Please continue to encourage me with your reviews! I really appreciate each and every one! **

**MEA**


	5. Chapter 5

"Would you hurry up and get started, I'm starving!"

"Inuyasha be patient, I barely even got this fire going!" Kagome snapped at the whining half demon who hovered over her shoulder while she worked quickly. She grabbed the pot that was sitting next to her along with the unopened packages of ramen and shoved it to Inuyasha. "While you're waiting, you might as well make yourself useful and go fill this up with water to boil."

"Why should I do it?" Inuyasha argued, "I'm always doing everything around here!"

"You are so infuriating sometimes!" Kagome groaned as she fanned the fire and got to her feet. "Fine then I'll go."

She was actually relieved to get some time away from the rowdy bunch, not that the pond was very far off or anything but it would still be a nice, peaceful walk.

When she arrived at the serene pond she kneeled in front of it and first cupped some water into her palms to splash over her face, reveling in the refreshing feel of the cool water against her skin. When she opened her eyes she saw his reflection behind her before she was even able to sense him. She let out a startled sound that could only be described as a squeak before turning and staring up at the demon lord who towered over her.

"Miko." He greeted.

She groaned and got to her feet, turning fully to face him. "Look, you can't sneak up on me like that, okay!?"

"This one will do whatever he pleases." He replied dispassionately.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" she grumbled, "This isn't a good time to talk. I have to get back or the others will get worried and come here looking for me."

"We'll meet later on." Sesshomaru stated leaving no room for protest. "Be sure to separate from your companions at some point. Get far enough so that we may talk without any disruptions."

"I told you everything I know!" Kagome insisted. "I swear! I have no more information for you."

"Make sure no one follows you." Was the last thing Sesshomaru said before leaving in a flash of silver and white. Kagome sighed and fell back to her knees. She got the water and hurried back to camp. How the hell was she supposed to manage to get away from everyone without them worrying about her safety? There's no way Inuyasha would let her just wander off without a fight. Sesshomaru really was making her life complicated these days.

'But he sure does have pretty eyes…' Kagome mused as she walked along the grassy path back to the clearing. 'It's almost a waste that someone so cold and unfeeling could be so _beautiful_.'

**Okay, we're making some progress! **

**Again, these chapters are kind of rushed and I know they aren't written as well as they could be. I don't have much time for revision considering I have one night to get these babies out of the way! Anyways, I hope you're all still with me here. Leave me lots of fun reviews to make me happy, okay? ;) **

**Thanks for the continued support! I'll keep doing my best! **

**MEA**


	6. Chapter 6

"A walk?" Inuyasha repeated almost in shock at Kagome's request.

"Yeah, I'd like to go for a walk and clear my head!" Kagome explained. "Is that okay with you?"

"I guess but I'm going with you." Inuyasha said matter-of-factly.

"NO!" Kagome blurted out. "I can't think with you hovering over my shoulder all the time like some kind of body guard, Inuyasha! I'll be fine on my own, okay? I won't wander too far and I'll bring my bow and arrows!"

"I think Inuyasha has a point, Kagome." Miroku interjected. "This is an unfamiliar area and it's getting dark. Is it really wise to go for a leisurely stroll by yourself?"

"I can handle myself!" Kagome insisted, almost insulted. Did her friends really believe her to be so weak? Well, maybe it was true that she was always getting kidnapped all the time…

"I'll join you, Kagome." Sango said suddenly. The irritated priestess was about to protest until she caught the knowing look that flashed in Sango's eyes. She inwardly thanked her friend before nodding her head and agreeing to be accompanied by Sango.

"Feh. Just don't get kidnapped or eaten by some demon." Inuyasha bit out obviously offended that Kagome would agree to Sango going with her and not him. She watched guiltily as he jumped up into a tree to sulk.

"He said he didn't want anyone coming with me." Kagome spoke softly to Sango when they were far enough away not to be heard.

"I understand." Sango said. "I'll just walk you to the pond and then turn back and wait for you to return right outside of camp then."

"Thanks, Sango." Kagome said. "I know this is a pain in the butt."

"No, it's fine." Sango replied. "Just… please… be careful." Kagome glanced to the demon slayer. She stared straight ahead but she looked very concerned.

"Don't worry, Sango." Kagome did her best to reassure her worried friend, "He's really not such a bad guy, I don't think; At least not so much anymore. Anyway, I'll try to be quick so you're not hanging around in the woods for too long, okay?"

"Yeah, okay…" Sango said doubtfully. She escorted Kagome to the pond as promised and disappeared into the night clutching onto her hiraikotsu tightly.

"You want me to tell you… about the future?" Kagome asked in awe when finally faced with Sesshomaru. 'So he isn't trying to just wring me for information this time,' she thought to herself with a small smile tugging at her lips. 'he's just curious.' He didn't grace her question with a verbal answer. He merely approached Kagome further.

When he stepped from the shadows of the surrounding forest and into the starlit clearing, Kagome found herself once again dumbstruck by his serene beauty. He stopped only a few feet away from her and waited for her to start talking once again.

"Well, gee, I don't know where to start." Kagome admitted with a long pause. "…well, in my time there are all humans. Demons don't exist. None that I've encountered at least and all other humans consider demons folklore."

Sesshomaru appeared to have been physically struck at this piece of information. He even so much as took a step back from her, more than likely trying to detect if she was being honest. He didn't say anything for a few minutes so she decided to continue.

'Awkward…' "Anyways, I'm not really sure what happened to demons. I mean, maybe the well isn't just a time portal but a portal to a totally different dimension. Maybe, where I'm from, demons never existed."

"You've given this theory some thought." His response wasn't a question. He sounded genuinely interested in this concept.

"Yeah, I guess I have," Kagome admitted. "I mean, I can't really think of any other way to explain it. Still, I find it to be a hard concept to grasp. I can't think about it too long before my brain starts to hurt."

"Tell me more about this… _ningen world_ of yours."

"Right," Kagome continued, "Well where I'm from it is mandatory that everyone, male and female alike, is educated. We go to school from a young age. Almost everyone knows how to read and write. It's also far more advanced in technology where I'm from. We have very fast moving… um… wagons that we call cars that take us far distances in a short amount of time. We also have phones which allow us to simply dial a certain number on this portable device and contact just about anyone we want so long as they have a phone too." Kagome always found it difficult explaining these sort of things to her friends in the feudal era.

"Basically I live in a giant city called Tokyo," Kagome began to explain. "I city is a gathering of buildings… sort of like huts but, uh… a lot bigger. Like really tall. About as big as you in your demon form."

"Human huts as big as this one in his true form?" Now Sesshomaru really sounded intrigued.

'This is going to be a long night.' Kagome thought regrettably.

**This is a slightly longer chapter. I thought it would be nice to have them actually interacting! There is more interaction between them coming too, promise, and I'm sure I'll come up with a few curveballs to throw their way eventually. It's a work in progress. **

**Thank you for the reviews, follows, favs, etc! You guys are great. **

**MEA**


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome lay in her sleeping bag unable to sleep.

She couldn't help but wonder about the deadly demon who she had been seeing a lot of lately. Her thoughts went back to earlier that night when he asked her about the future. She found that this time, it wasn't just a one-sided conversation like it usually was, with her rambling on and him just listening without any response.

The more she told him, the more questions he seemed to have for her and she was more than happy to answer. It was almost pleasant. She was even a little bummed out when Sesshomaru interrupted her mid-sentence to inform her that her '_slayer friend' _was approaching. He vanished shortly after that, just merging into the shadows without a trace and sure enough, Sango came bursting into Kagome's sight through the forest.

"Come now, Kagome!" she insisted breathlessly, "I overheard Inuyasha saying he was coming to find us!"

Kagome was almost certain that if Sango were close enough to camp to overhear anything being said, then Inuyasha must have smelled her and realized she and Kagome were separated at one point. It wouldn't be long before he started getting suspicious and sniffing around. It was sure to make her life complicated if these meetings with Sesshomaru were to continue; but still, she didn't want them to just stop altogether either. It felt nice informing someone of Sesshomaru's stature of things he did not know. It made her feel almost powerful.

When Kagome awoke the next morning, she wasn't sure when sleep had finally overcome her. She only remembered shutting her eyes right before a smiling little girl with a side ponytail, clad in an orange kimono came to mind. She made a mental note to ask some questions of her own the next time Sesshomaru decided to make 'drop in' on her.

A couple of weeks passed before that time came.

The gang had just been contemplating heading back for Kaede's village. They had moved as far out north as they could manage and then traveled all around the area to no avail. There were still no traces of Naraku nor had Kagome sensed even one shard of the jewel. The group was losing hope and Inuyasha was getting less than tolerable with his short temper. They had come to the agreement to stay one more night since it was already late in the evening and then in the morning, they would give up and return home so Kagome could get back to her studies in the future while the others could work on finding other leads as to Naraku's whereabouts.

One thing stuck out in Kagome's mind as they decided this. 'Oh no! I mislead Sesshomaru! Good thing I haven't seen him around. Maybe he's already left the area.'

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice broke the miko's thoughts and it was then that she realized just how close the hanyou was to her, his face mere inches from her as he examined her shamelessly. She blushed at the close proximity and pulled back in her seated position.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" she asked with a frown.

"What are you looking so worried about?" he asked knowingly. She was surprised at his tone. It was gentle. It was a rarity that the hanyou approached her these days with anything but complaints and rude remarks.

"I-It's nothing, Inuyasha." Kagome lied as a sweet smile spread over her face. She appreciated his concern though and told him so with a quick pat on his head which caused him to frown and pull away from her reach.

"Feh, well then stop sitting around and get cooking, woman," he huffed, "I'm starving!"

Kagome shook her head with a knowing smile. It was so like Inuyasha to turn to hostility when he felt embarrassed. She had always found it cute but it got tiresome after awhile. Especially with wanting to further their relationship for so long. Every time she took a step forward, he took a big step back. They had been at a standstill for the past couple years! She was ready for more and he so obviously wasn't. Kagome sighed and got to her feet.

"Well then, I guess I better cook up some ramen." she announced loudly causing the rest of the group to voice their excitement.

Her change in stance didn't go unnoticed by the others though, nor did the frown that came over her face as she turned and stared off into the forest.

"Kagome?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha knew that look all too well. He placed his hand over the hilt of his Tesseiga. "Where is it?"

She pointed in the direction she had been staring. "Far off that way." she told him. "There's only one... It's really far. I can just barely sense it."

"Then we'll have to go to it, won't we?!" he snapped, hunching over and gesturing for Kagome to get on his back. "Miroku, Sango, you two catch up with us on Kirara! Me and Kagome are gonna go ahead!" His voice barely contained the excitement he was feeling at getting a little action finally. He had been irritated to put it mildly that they had wasted so much energy and time chasing a mere rumor that apparently held no water but now their long journey would not be wasted! There was a shard up for grabs and he would be damned if he let this opportunity slip by. As soon as Kagome hopped up on his back he took off on a full out sprint towards the source. He grinned menacingly. He was ready to fight! He sure hoped this demon at least put up a good one before he tore it to shreds.

**Whee! More action to come and of course, more Sesshomaru & Kagome! :) **

**I'll admit, I've been obsessively reading like every single Kouga/Kagome fanfiction on this site so my S/K inspiration is dying down a bit. I need to get to Dokuga and do some more reading so I can get more inspired to write this story! Anyone have any suggestions? Feel free to leave them in a review and as always thanks for sticking with me and reading this far! I promise not to disappoint. All of your reviews are very appreciated! It keeps me motivated to keep going! Love you guize! xD **

**MEA**


	8. Chapter 8

Kagome rode upon Inuyasha's back as he sped through the forest at inhuman speed. The trees surrounding them molded together in a blur of green as they neared the source of their pursuit.

"Inuyasha, it's close!" Kagome shouted into the sharp wind against her face, unable to hear even the sound of her own voice over its relentless roaring. She felt vibrations against Inuyasha's back and quickly realized that he was growling. "Inu-yasha?" she called out weakly, her voice cracking, "What is it?!"

"I can smell him! I smell Naraku!" Inuyasha rasped, his voice barely audible to Kagome's ears. "I can smell my bastard half-brother too."

Kagome gasped and was glad, for once, that it went unheard by the seething hanyou. So Sesshomaru was there too? There was a jewel shard closing in on them, and now Inuyasha could smell Naraku, _and_ Sesshomaru! Were they fighting?! A terrible thought crossed the miko's mind and she immediately shook it from her head. 'There's no way Sesshomaru teamed up with Naraku,' she told herself confidently. 'That insufferable demon is a lot of things, but dishonorable is _not_ one of them! Besides, he's after Naraku too!'

She felt the fear ebb away at these realizations but she quickly became more alert as she and Inuyasha drew closer to the shard. They burst through the brush of the forest into a clearing and Inuyasha skidded to a stop. Kagome gasped and looked around the area in disbelief. There were fallen demons all around, their blood and innards decorated the forest ground where they lay. Amongst the gory scene stood Sesshomaru, hunched over, looking less than elegant. Kagome examined him briefly to see that his armor was broken on the ground at his feet and his hand was clutching his stomach. A good amount of blood stained the white silk of his haori, pooling beneath his palm and trickling down the material. He was wounded!

Kagome was overcome with worry as she hopped off Inuyasha's back. He didn't seem to be paying attention as she ran towards the daiyoukai who had merely glanced up at them upon their arrival. "Bastard!" Inuyasha snarled at his older half-brother, "These demons reek of Naraku! Did you think to gather any information before slaughtering them all like a blood-thirsty beast?!" His hand found Tessaiga's hilt and he was prepared to draw his sword when he noticed Kagome standing awkwardly at Sesshomaru's side. His jaw dropped at the concerned look on her face.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome cried worriedly. "You've been wounded! Please let me help you!"

"Kagome, what the hell are you doing?!" Inuyasha barked out at her. She rolled her eyes.

Sesshomaru turned a heated gaze to the concerned priestess who had placed her hand gently on his arm and he jerked away.

"Do not touch me, vile woman!" he hissed. Kagome immediately withdrew from him, shocked and a bit disappointed. 'Damn, he's too proud to accept my help!' she realized bitterly. 'How can I convince him to let me dress his wound!'

"Back off, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. "Since when do you wanna help that cold bastard anyway?! Even if you dressed his wounds, it would be for nothing, cause I'm just gonna kill him anyway!" With that, the Tessaiga was drawn and transformed and Inuyasha pointed it directly towards the injured demon. "Looks like you took care of Naraku's vermin," Inuyasha said cockily, "but I came here lookin' for a fight and I ain't leaving 'til I get one!"

"Inuyasha, he's hurt!" Kagome yelled sternly, like a mother scolding her child. "Where is your honor?"

"I do not require your assistance, wench." Sesshomaru bit out coldly. When she turned to face him she saw that he had straightened himself out and was now looking as dignified as one can look with a gaping wound in their stomach. "Inuyasha," he said smoothly, "Perhaps you should reserve your energy for the final battle with Naraku rather than attempting to strike this one down while vulnerable. I assure you, you will not succeed should you attempt to take advantage of such a situation. This is merely a flesh wound."

"Hah," Inuyasha scoffed, "I'll take that as a challenge!"

"SIT!" Inuyasha collapsed to the ground, his sword clunking to the dirt beside his limp form. Kagome stomped over to her headstrong friend and crossed her arms, anger flashing in her electric blue eyes. "How's that for a challenge, Inuyasha? If you'd like to keep challenging me, there's plenty more where that came from!"

"Wench!" Inuyasha shouted when he finally pulled his face from the dirt. "What the hell are you defending him for anyway!" She sighed. She was truly sick of the nickname '_wench_'. It was bad enough Inuyasha called her that all the time, now Sesshomaru was calling her a wench, too?!

"Whether you like it or not, Inuyasha, he is our ally as of right now!" Kagome shouted down at the scowling hanyou. "We have a mutual enemy. He's right about reserving our energy for Naraku! There's no reason to go starting a fight merely for sport, understand?! Besides, attacking someone while they're injured is just cowardly!"

Sesshomaru watched his pathetic half-brother bicker with the strange woman from the future. So this was that _'sit'_ command she spoke of? He had to admit, seeing the hanyou lying flat in the dirt, shouting up at the human girl made a highly undignified picture and, for him, it was rather amusing. The girl, _Kagome_, however, was clearly getting far too comfortable with him. His arm, where she had touched him, still burned with the heat from her palm. He was beyond outraged that the woman thought him to be so weak that he needed her help.

Sesshomaru sampled the air and frowned. He could sense the firecat, the taijiya and monk approaching and decided he would take his leave before he had to endure the company of _more_ humans. This entire situation was tiring. He had just been ambushed by Naraku's spawn and much to his irritation, was bested and injured in the process of destroying the weak demons. Now he was faced with Inuyasha, _and that girl. _

She was crouching down beside the half-demon now, still arguing when he slipped away. He would go to her tonight and tell her of what he learned. He owed that to her; Not to Inuyasha, but to her. She was right about one thing. He still had his honor and if it hadn't been for her telling him where to find Naraku, he would not have been here to fight these demons and gather the information he did.

"Kagome, Inuyasha!" Sango shouted as she, Miroku and Shippo lowered to the ground upon Kirara's back. Kagome was roused from her heated argument with Inuyasha and stood up to face her arriving friends. They looked around the scene in amazement.

"Whoa!" Shippo said in awe, "You guys took out _all_ these demons?!"

"I'm surprised." Sango said with a grin. "I didn't know Inuyasha had it in him."

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha shouted. "Like hell I couldn't take all these demons out if I wanted to! I just got here too late!"

"Yeah, guys," Kagome started, "It was actually Sesshomaru who-" she turned to point the demon out to the group only to find an empty space where he had been standing. He went off by himself? She felt slightly annoyed but shrugged it off. Of course he did! Why would he stick around? Like he said, he didn't need her help. She sighed and turned back to the confused faces of her group before smiling sheepishly. "Well, I guess he took off already but it was Sesshomaru who killed these demons."

"Did he take the jewel shard?" Miroku asked. Kagome almost smashed her head into the nearest tree trunk for having forgotten all about the jewel shard.

"Um, no, he didn't!" she said in a squeaky voice before running towards a pile of lifeless demon corpses to sift through the bloody mess and find the blackened shard. When she pulled it from the sticky heap of guts on the ground, she cringed in disgust and watched as the shard changed back to its original pinkish hue. "There we go!" she said with a grin. "We got a shard! Isn't that great, Inuyasha?!"

She turned to Inuyasha to find his back to her. He was fixing his red kimono after his collision with the ground only moments before and he merely grunted in response. "You sure you don't wanna give it to your precious Sesshomaru so he can feel better?"

Kagome grit her teeth together. "Hey, I was only being rational, Inuyasha! Don't start that crap up now!" she snapped back. "You know what? Come to think of it, maybe I will give it to Sesshomaru! It's only fair! He did defeat the demons after all. Not you!"

"K-Kagome, what's he talking about?" Sango managed. She glanced at her friend's once again confused expressions before shrugging.

"It's nothing, guys." she insisted. "Inuyasha's just being a baby. Anyways, I don't have time for that. I'd like to hurry back to camp if you all don't mind. I need to clean this grime off my hands!"

"Right..." Sango said reluctantly before she ushered Kagome onto Kirara with her. It was obvious the priestess would not be riding back with Inuyasha by the heated glares they were exchanging. She secretly wondered what happened between Kagome and Sesshomaru for Inuyasha to be so angry but she decided it was best not to ask. If Kagome wanted to tell her, she would.

They took to the sky on Kirara and headed back for camp. Kagome made up her mind. She would give Sesshomaru the jewel shard she recovered next time she saw him. It wasn't only to spite Inuyasha. It was actually only fair! He defeated the enemy that possessed the shard. He should have it. She knew it was probably stupid to give a shard to someone like Sesshomaru, especially after what he pulled the last time he had a jewel shard, but things were different now. _He_ was different now. No matter how cold he was to her, she was certain he would not use the shard against her, nor would he harm her. She wasn't sure how she knew that, she just did.

She found herself wondering if he was alright as she gathered her things from camp and walked off to the nearby pond to wash up.

* * *

**Hello! I know it's been awhile! I'm happily updating some stories while my friend is allowing me to borrow her laptop so I do hope you enjoy. I feel as though this chapter was kind of boring. I suck with action scenes so please forgive me for not writing more about the demon's ambushing Sesshou and the fight that occurred. I'm just not good at writing such things. It would have taken from the story. It is something I hope to get better at though. **

**Also, please forgive any spelling mistakes. I have no time to revise anymore since my friend will be here any time to pick her laptop up, my daughter could wake at any moment and may require my attention AND I have more stories to update! So please be patient and understanding. **

**AND PLEASE REVIEW! Your thoughts mean so much to me, really! It'd be wonderful to hear what some of my readers are thinking while reading this story! I really appreciate any feedback at all, guys. It makes the story better in my opinion. It gives me something to keep in mind while I write. **

Anyway, thanks for reading, as always. Love, love, love!

MEA


	9. Chapter 9

The walk to the nearby pond was quiet and gave Kagome some time to think. It wasn't a very long walk and had she not been lost somewhere within the depths of her mind, she might have noticed the pair of saffron eyes that watched her from the shadows or perhaps the swift movement of the demon that followed her, remaining hidden in the foliage a short distance away. Of course, she might not have too. Sesshomaru, after all, was not easily discovered, especially by a mere mortal.

'Sesshomaru was so cold today.' Kagome thought to herself frowning. 'Of course he's _always_ cold but... it seems he's not quite as bad when we're alone together. Perhaps he was angry with Inuyasha and took it out on me?' Maybe he was just trying to discourage Inuyasha's suspicion by treating her no different than he would any human. 'Who the hell am I kidding... I _am_ just another human to him. I'm so stupid!'

She wasn't really sure why she was dwelling on _that_ so much when there were so many other things -_important_ things- to think about. 'Like the whereabouts of Naraku.' she told herself. 'Obviously he has a lot of spawn in this area but does that really mean anything? I suppose the jewel fragment _is_ significant but...'

She allowed her previous thoughts to diminish as she closed in on her destination. Eager for a bath, a small smile graced her lips at the sight of the clear, blue water. A nice dip in the pond was exactly what she needed to clear her mind. She vowed not to think of Sesshomaru at all for the rest of the night. She nodded in finality at this decision, just for good measure.

And then he was standing in front of her.

Kagome squealed in surprise and dropped her change of clothes and bathing supplies to the ground. She scowled down at the discarded materials before shooting a fiery glare up at Sesshomaru. "Jeez!" she snapped at him, bending over to pick her belongings back up. "Those were my CLEAN clothes! Now they've got dirt all over them! I asked you not to sneak up on me like that!"

"I do not take orders." Sesshomaru replied coolly. She wanted to scream and tell him to go away as she pawed viciously at her scrap of clothes, hoping to remove the loose soil from them. She realized she was overreacting a bit... but it's not like_ he_ didn't overreact earlier on when she was only trying to help him!

"What do you want?" Kagome demanded.

"Strange." Sesshomaru commented in a bored tone. "You are not your usual self."

"That doesn't answer my question," Kagome hissed, "and just what _is_ my usual self?!"

"I am not inclined to answer your questions." Sesshomaru droned. "You are usually blindly amiable whenever we meet. What has brought on this change?"

"_Blindly amiable_?" Kagome repeated in bewilderment. "I can't even tell if that's supposed to be an insult or a compliment." Sesshomaru smirked uncharacteristically and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm taking a bath." she grumbled, walking past him towards the inviting pond. "I would ask you not to peep but considering you find me and my kind so repulsive, I guess I don't have to worry about that, do I?"

Sesshomaru noted that the miko sounded almost resentful that he wouldn't want to spy on her while she bathed. Of course, he had already done that, but she didn't know that and that was beside the point; She was intending to ignore him and that would not do. He quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could move out of his range. He gave it a quick yank and she gasped before falling backwards and landing gracelessly on her ass with a 'thud', dropping her clothes to the ground once again.

"Why, you-!" she growled up at the looming figure above her. He watched her hastily collect her items and scramble to her feet, her frustration radiating off of her in waves. It did not help her mood that amusement was etched all over his handsome features. Even if he did not smile, she could see it in his eyes. _He was laughing at her_! She wanted to reach out and poke one of those pretty eyes that mocked her so. "Just what in the hell was that for!" Kagome snapped when she was finally standing steadily in front of him once more. "I don't suppose you have a_ question to ask me_, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"No." Sesshomaru admitted. "As a matter of fact, I came to you with information of my own this time." Kagome gasped and her once-scowling face softened almost immediately. Sesshomaru inwardly scoffed at how easily her mood changed. She was an open book, in all aspects of the term. He could read her emotions through her facial features and body language and as long as he could determine what angered her or soothed that anger, she was almost the perfect pawn to manipulate. However, his intentions, this time, were not so sinister. He, in fact, did intend to share what he had learned to the miko.

"Y-you have something to tell me?" Kagome asked dumbly. She decided to shut up and wait for the demon to speak before allowing herself to feel any kind of gratitude for his unlikely behavior. Just what warranted this sudden loyalty to her when earlier on in the day he had called her a '_wench_' and a _'vile woman'_?

"Before disposing of the demons this afternoon, I took the time to offer a quick and painless death to the demon in possession of the jewel shard in exchange for some information." Kagome nodded slowly, still wary of Sesshomaru's motives in telling her this. "Naraku's droppings are scattered all over this land as a diversion." he continued, "These demons were expelled from his body and are covered in his scent. The rumors you heard and conveyed to me were started by Naraku himself. He meant to distract us while he recovered and restored energy elsewhere."

"...but then, the jewel shard?!" Kagome cut in, obviously getting on the demon lords nerves for having interrupted him. He raised his chin and squinted his eyes at the girl, intimidating her quite instantly. She shrank under his saffron gaze. Lowering her head, she waited for him to continue.

"The jewel shard was planted in order to add to our confusion," Sesshomaru explained dispassionately, "Although I believe, due to the ambush, that it was intended that I retrieve and possess the jewel shard. He wanted me to taint it and succumb to its power. I believe he expected me to kill Inuyasha using the shard."

Kagome gasped and shook her head. That _couldn't_ be true! Sesshomaru was a powerful demon! There was no way he would let a measly jewel shard control him! "What a fool!" she bit out angrily. "He can never dirty his own hands, can he?"

Sesshomaru '_hn'_ed at this and merely nodded his head in agreement.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh! That reminds me!" She chirped, fishing beneath her blouse before pulling out a glass jar containing the jewel shards hanging from a chain around her neck. She poured one out onto her palm and held it out to Sesshomaru. "This belongs to you."

He glared down at the pink-glowing fragment in what looked like disgust. "Miko, did I not just explain the repercussions if I were to possess that useless shard?" he asked coldly, "Are you not the protector of the Shikon Jewel? Why, then, would you offer such a thing to me? I have no use for it."

"Yes, that's true," Kagome replied, "but I assumed you might be able to use it for now and it seemed only fair to give you this since you destroyed all of those demons today."

"Keep it." Sesshomaru ordered. She shrugged and returned the shard back to the glass jar around her neck before looking up at the tall figure that stood before her.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." she said softly, "for sharing that information with me. I really appreciate it. That was very... noble of you."

He simply nodded and suddenly the air grew tense between them. They remained silent for some time. Kagome wondered how to phrase the question she had been itching to ask Sesshomaru since she last saw him. She desperately wanted an answer but she knew he might not be willing to give her any more information than what he already generously shared with her.

"Why do you let that little girl travel with you?" she finally blurted out, her curiosity besting her. Sesshomaru visibly stiffened and she suddenly felt almost belligerent for asking such a thing. Hearing herself ask the question out loud immediately caused regret to surge through her. It was as if she had asked a fat woman how much she weighed or a crippled man the cause of his paralysis. "I... I'm sorry." she stammered, her face heating up with embarrassment. "I will just.. shut up now."

"Please do." Sesshomaru replied snidely, only causing her face to heat up more. "I will take my leave of you so that you may bathe in privacy," he drawled on, "Unless of course, you wish me to stay and watch as you so boldly implied earlier on."

Kagome scowled at the offensive remark. "That's not what I meant!" she hissed, suddenly very flustered. She wasn't sure if his mockery was meant to be cruel or if he was just teasing her in his own way, although it _did_ seem highly unlikely of him to _'tease_', she couldn't help but notice the glint of humor in his eyes as her face grew a deeper shade of red. "Would you just leave already?!" she snapped in annoyance. "And next time you have something you want to ask or tell me, please don't sneak up on me!"

"Hn." was her only reply before the demon turned around and began to walk away. She watched the forest swallow him before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Alone at last!" she called out, knowing that he was still in hearing range. She finally turned to the glistening lake with a big smile plastered on her face. She couldn't wait to get out of these dirty clothes and take a bath! She had to be quick though, since Sesshomaru had wasted so much of her time. The others were bound to start wondering what was taking her so long soon. She peeled off her blouse and let her skirt fall around her ankles before quickly removing the rest of her clothes. She dipped into the cold water and trembled.

'Well, until we meet again.' she thought with a sigh as she stared out into the forest where Sesshomaru had disappeared.

* * *

**There you have it! Another speedy update for you guys to enjoy since you so readily left me such encouraging reviews! This is my thanks to you! **

**Okay, if this chapter seemed rushed at all, please forgive me! It is because I had the whole thing written out and then suddenly, this laptop went haywire and shut off and all of my progress was deleted! Grrrrr! Don't you hate when that happens!? I'm still annoyed because I think the first version was much better... but I still rather like this chapter. I hope you did too. **

**So, as you can tell, Kagome is feeling the beginnings of what may or may not be a crush... maybe. I think it makes sense. I mean, what school girl wouldn't fall prey to his astonishingly good looks at least a little at this point? Maybe I've just given too much away but it's right up there in black and white anyway. **

**Please leave a nice review and make me smile. You guys are really great and I love the feedback! **

**Thanks for reading! **

**MEA**


	10. Chapter 10

The forest was dark and eerily quiet as a lone figure moved agilely through the foliage. The demon lord seemed to illuminate even in the darkness. He walked soundlessly. A long trail of silvery-white hair flowed loosely behind him, swaying with each steady footstep. His citrine eyes were aglow with unspoken rage.

It had been weeks since Sesshomaru had last seen the strange, informative girl from the future. He had shared his findings with her and shortly after, she and her entourage had returned to their human village while Sesshomaru had moved northeast. He had decided to revisit some old _'friends'_ and gather as much information as possible. There were many a youkai up this way that owed him a favor or two and he was more than happy to take them up on their debt. His efforts, however, were in vain. No one had detected Naraku in months. The hanyou had wasted Sesshomaru's time and efforts with his cowardly tactics. He- Sesshomaru, a being of tact and composure-was_ livid_.

When he emerged into the small clearing that was his campsite, he scanned the area briefly before his eyes fixed on the child he sought. She was fast asleep, propped against Ah Un. The firelight danced over her relaxed features. It was somewhat disappointing. Sesshomaru had almost been looking forward to her jubilant greeting.

"My lord!" Jaken croaked suddenly, his voice even raspier than usual from fatigue. The green, unsightly toad demon bowed low before him. "I am glad to see you have returned."

Sesshomaru did not even spare Jaken a fleeting glance as he walked by, passing the groveling imp on his way to where Rin slept. Neither of them spoke as he crouched down and scooped the girl effortlessly in one arm before standing his full length and placing her limp body onto Ah Un's back with a gentleness that Jaken had been unaware his lord even possessed. Accustomed to Sesshomaru's ignorance, Jaken merely stood his ground and waited for the daiyoukai to acknowledge him.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru spoke lowly. "We leave now."

"Ah... now?!" Jaken fumbled nervously after Sesshomaru who turned and pinned the weaker demon with an intimidating glare. Jaken fell to his knees and bowed once again. "P-Please forgive me, my lord!" he stammered, "It's just... ah... if I may be so bold as to ask, where are we going? Have you finally tracked Naraku?"

Sesshomaru stiffened noticeably and Jaken shrunk back, his question answered without Sesshomaru uttering so much as a word. Jaken cursed his boldness for the umpteenth time that week. He had to learn to keep his mouth shut. Especially while his lord had been even more terrifyingly irate than ever lately. The cowering toad let out a breath of relief when the daiyoukai strode past him, completely refined.

"Come." was all he said. Jaken watched him disappear into the forest once more, followed by Ah Un and then, as if snapping out of a trance, he jumped to his feet and scampered after them.

"Wait for me, my lord!"

Sesshomaru walked now with a purpose. He headed for the one place he knew she would be. He had to go to the miko,_ Kagome_. The proud demon was loathe to admit he needed her help; the help of that _human_ girl. But even Sesshomaru knew that she was not merely a human girl. She was far more than that. She brought the holy power of the Shikon No Tama into this world. She time-traveled and fought beside his half-brother with no fear or prejudice. She was an enigma of a woman. She was surprisingly strong; even _useful._

He would have her.

* * *

Kagome yawned against a thick tree trunk, her school work spread out in front of her.

She had just returned from her time with a pile of assignments. She had her work cut out for her and yet she could not pull her attention from the unending, crystal sky above her. Why was it that whenever she found a moment to be alone and concentrate on this work that she rarely ever found time to do, she only seemed to get restless and bored?

'Perhaps because it's schoolwork.' a little voice in her head reminded her.

She sighed and wished above all things that something, _anything_ would come and distract her from this. At least she would feel better knowing that she had no choice but to ignore her schoolwork. Staring at the sky instead of doing something to better her future just made her feel lousy about herself.

Still, she marveled at the beautiful colors streaked across the landscape as the sun was setting. Purples and pinks and bright oranges stretched out over indigo clouds and she wished for a moment that she had Sesshomaru's ability to form a cloud and fly into the scene of utter beauty and just be a part of it. She shook her head at the lame thought and then imagined how the demon lord might react if she said something so cheesy to him.

She giggled at the idea. 'Perhaps next time I see him, I will say something along those lines just to get a reaction.'

That notion brought a sigh to her lips. She hadn't seen Sesshomaru in a little over a month. It wasn't as if she had expected him to follow her back to Edo or anything but she was kind of getting used to seeing him around for a while there. She wondered if he was having any luck finding Naraku; if _that_ was why he hadn't come to her in such a long time. Then again, maybe he knew that _she_ wasn't having any luck in the Naraku department, herself. There hadn't been many leads since the last rumor and that had wasted so much of their time that everyone in the group was wary of anything else they heard.

Kagome must have dozed off after awhile because she jerked awake violently when his aura filled the clearing, heavy in the air around her. He was back and she was terrified. She took a few calming breathes, willing her quickened heart rate to slow. When she trusted her voice enough to speak she called out to him, knowing he would hear.

"You know, you can come out and say hello! You don't have to watch me from the forest like some kind of stalker!"

A breeze rushed by, teasing some loose strands of her ebony locks. Her eyes darted around the area, waiting for movement. When she saw him appear before her, only standing a few paces away she flashed him a sleepy smile and rubbed her eyes as if to be sure she was seeing correctly.

"You ask this one not to _sneak up_ on you and yet, when I make you aware of my presence, you call me a stalker." Kagome giggled at his response and he seemed to stare at her for a long time afterwards, as if he didn't understand what was so funny. She simply shrugged at him.

"I don't have any information to offer you, Sesshomaru." she stated readily.

He glanced at the books and papers sprawled out on the ground around her and then turned to look back up at her smiling face. "Is sleeping in the wilderness, unprotected supposed to be some witless tactic to lure Naraku out of hiding?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Fool." Sesshomaru said coldly, "Where is your weapon?"

She blinked and then understood what he was getting at and frowned up at him. "Hey, I can handle myself, okay?" she said crossing her arms over her chest, "_Besides_, it's none of your business!"

"Hn." Sesshomaru said, "So what _have_ you been doing to get to Naraku?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Enough about me," she snapped back, "What have _you_ been doing? Obviously, nothing of value or else you wouldn't be standing here!"

She heard the deep rumble in his chest, warning her to keep her sassy remarks to herself. She tensed slightly but then reminded herself that this was _Sesshomaru_ standing in front of her, not just any demon. Definitely not a demon to be tested. She sighed and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"What can I do for you, Sesshomaru?" she asked, "Like I said, I have no information for you. I have been home for the past week or so, on the other side of the well."

"In the ningen world." Sesshomaru added dryly before taking a step forward. She froze up and could only nod stiffly, wondering what he planned to do now that she had nothing to offer him. Would he harm her? _Kill_ her? No, Kagome thought without hesitation, he wouldn't kill me. She was right, he merely glared down at her. He seemed rather annoyed although his expression did little to show it. She could only see the traces of his irritation flickering in his eyes.

"Miko, gather your belongings." Sesshomaru ordered, "You are coming with me."

**Oh my, that was a very long chapter to write for some reason... and it's not even _that_ long of a chapter! But it took days of writing, erasing, rewriting and tweaking before I finally got it the way I wanted it. Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope this chapter is as exciting for you as it is for me! It's a major turning point. But will Kagome really just leave her friends and go with Sesshomaru? Will he allow her to refuse? I wonder... No, really, I do. I have no idea where this is going! I am allowing this story to write itself although, if it goes according to plan at all (we'll see) then it may turn out to be very surprising! Anyways, please let me know what you think in your reviews! **

**MEA**


	11. Chapter 11

It seemed to Kagome that time was moving very slowly as she tried to process what she had just heard. Sesshomaru stared down at her expectantly. She stared back, her eyes swirling with obvious confusion. In reality, only a few seconds had passed before she pulled herself up to face him on wobbly legs.

"What?" was all she could say.

He glared at her now, obviously unimpressed.

"I will not repeat myself, wench." he said coldly, "Do as I say."

Still dumbfounded, but quickly becoming more aware of the situation, Kagome defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and glared back. "What in the world are you saying, Sesshomaru?" she snapped, "Why in the world would I want to go anywhere with _you_?"

"What you _want_ is of no concern to me, miko." he replied, "It is your duty as the Shikon Miko to restore the jewel, is it not?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with you?" Kagome countered, her tone a little sharper than even she was expecting. Sesshomaru was really grating on her nerves now. Was he implying that she wasn't taking her duties seriously? She had sacrificed her entire life to carry out her duties and no one would belittle her! When she received no answer from the daiyoukai in question, she continued. "I am doing everything I can at the moment," she said hotly, "Naraku has not shown himself in some time! There isn't anything we can do but wait! One thing is for sure, I will not abandon my friends to go on some wild goose hunt with you! You wouldn't know where to look any more than we would so stop acting so high and mighty!"

"Your _friends_ slow you down!" Sesshomaru hissed angrily, ignoring her shocked gasp. He was not one to lose his composure so easily but his patience was wearing thin. He had been on the brink of a mental breakdown throughout the past month and this girl was pushing him over the edge. If she did not comply, he would likely end up killing her himself. He took another step forward and Kagome took a step back immediately. "Now is the time to strike," Sesshomaru said lowly, his tone more controlled but still dangerously low, "and here I find you _sleeping. _Tell me girl, since I last saw you and your pathetic companions, what progress have you made?"

Sesshomaru was not the only one on the brink of losing it. Kagome scowled at his audacious comment. How dare he? As if Inuyasha's constant criticism wasn't bad enough, now she had Sesshomaru breathing down her neck? She wouldn't stand for it, no matter how intimidating Sesshomaru appeared with his eyes burning intensely and his lips curled back almost in a snarl. "What business is that of yours?!" Kagome shouted now, "As if I have to answer to you, Sesshomaru! The only reason I ever shared anything with you is because you were kind enough to ask me and I respected you for that! Don't think you can come here and start ordering me around. I will do whatever I want. You aren't my keeper! If I want to fall asleep in the forest, unprotected, then that is my prerogative!"

He moved forward again but this time she stood her ground, keeping her feet planted firmly in the dirt. She showed no signs of fear or remorse as she faced off with quite possibly the most lethal demon she had ever encountered. She would not allow him to intimidate her. Even if he took her life right now, he would never take her dignity.

"It _is_ my business." Sesshomaru finally spoke. "You are the only one who can detect the jewel shards in Naraku's possession. I will not rest until he is destroyed. Come willingly or I will take you by force."

Kagome trembled now, not out of fear but rage. Sesshomaru had unknowingly struck a nerve. Kagome was coming to terms with what Sesshomaru had just revealed, although now that she realized it she felt stupid for thinking otherwise. Sesshomaru did not want her for her strength, wisdom or courage but for her jewel detecting abilities! It was the same for everyone she encountered. Inuyasha, Kouga and now Sesshomaru! They all just wanted her to be their tool! They had no interest in who she really was and she was hurt as she was once again faced with this harsh reality. Despite her obvious pain, she shook her head in defiance. "You can force me to go with you," she whispered shakily, "but you can't force me to detect the shards for you." Sesshomaru stared at her briefly before her eyes met his and she shouted, "I WON'T!"

He was taken back. This girl went from angry to sad to downright unstable. He frowned. She was proving to be far more difficult than he had anticipated. He was through trying to reason with her. "I have my methods of making you comply." he hissed before lunging forward and grasping her arm, pulling her forward with ease. Kagome gasped when she abruptly fell against the cold armor of his chest hard. She didn't have time to react before she was being lifted up and thrown over his shoulder carelessly, like a sack of potatoes. "Let me go!" she wailed. Without further hesitation, her limbs sprung into action, kicking and punching. She began flailing about in an effort to free herself of this rather uncomfortable position on Sesshomaru's shoulder.

He clutched onto the woman tightly but was surprised when she somehow managed to squirm from his hold. He was actually impressed, even as she fell to the ground with a hard thud and let out a pained cry. He was impressed, but livid. He growled down at her but she seemed too occupied with her hurt knee to even notice him, cradling the injury and whimpering like a child.

Now, the daiyoukai was ready to take extreme measures to subdue this woman but before he could act, a familiar stench filled the clearing, assaulting his senses. He snarled and turned immediately to face the red-clad hanyou who stood a mere few feet away. How could he have been so careless, not to notice the whelp approaching? Had this girl really gotten such a rise out of him.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing to Kagome, bastard!" Inuyasha turned burning, angry eyes from Sesshomaru to Kagome who had obviously gotten hurt in a struggle with his brother. Concern and worry flashed in his amber hues before he turned back to Sesshomaru and snarled viciously. "YOU'LL PAY FOR HURTING HER!"

"Inuyasha-!" Kagome shouted, her voice echoing loudly in the air. It was no use though, the Tessaiga was already unsheathed and Sesshomaru was fully prepared to face off with his younger brother. His clawed hand found the hilt of his own sword and before Kagome could stop it, they were already engaged in battle. A blast of energy surged through the clearing, leaving destruction in it's path. Inuyasha's wind scar!

Kagome stood up clumsily and ran from the scene of impending chaos. She could not subjugate Inuyasha now or Sesshomaru might attack and hurt him! How could she put an end to this? When she did, how would she explain what was happening between her and Sesshomaru to Inuyasha?

"KAGOME!" She whirled around to see her other companions approaching and let out a relieved sigh. If anyone could figure out how to stop this, they could!

"Shippo, Sango, Miroku!" Kagome called out, running towards the approaching group to meet them halfway. "You have to help!" she said quickly when she neared them, "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are going at it! I need to stop it!"

"Yeah, that much was obvious." Sango said, rolling her eyes as another clash sounded loudly from the battle. "I don't know what's going on but these two are always going at it, aren't they? Shouldn't we just let them... you know..." her voice trailed off and Kagome shook her head frantically.

"No, I don't want either of them getting hurt!" she blurted out, unknowingly admitting to her friends that she cared for Sesshomaru's well-being as well. "Please, help me stop them!"

Miroku eyed her suspiciously but stepped forward. "Once they are far enough apart, I could try to use my wind tunnel to force them to stay apart."

"That's far too dangerous!" Kagome squeaked as she considered the possible outcomes.

"Kagome, why don't you just sit Inuyasha?" Shippo suggested.

"Because then Sesshomaru might attack." Sango answered for her and Kagome nodded her agreement. They all fell silent as they brainstormed but quickly turned their attention to the battle a short distance away. Kagome found herself moving on her own accord. She would not allow this shit to continue! She had enough. She didn't stop running, even as Inuyasha was thrown backwards from a vicious attack.

She should have listened to Sango. She should have been more careful, or at least open with Inuyasha about what she was doing with Sesshomaru behind his back. If she had been honest, none of this would be happening! Or maybe she should have never gotten involved with Sesshomaru. Then he would not have come here and demanded she go with him. She was so lost in her self-loathing that she did not even notice when she threw herself in the midst of battle.

Inuyasha had just clashed his Tessaiga down and unleashed the wind scar at Sesshomaru when he saw Kagome's small body run recklessly in front of him.

"KAGOME!" he shouted in utter terror. She had just thrown herself between him and Sesshomaru; In front of his wind scar! There was no time to rush forward and save her although he contemplated doing just that. He knew it would be pointless. She was going to get killed!

He could only stare into the blinding light of his attack, his ears drawn back and his face pale. He dropped his sword to the ground and felt emotion rising in his chest. Had he really just accidentally killed Kagome? Why had she thrown herself in the middle of a dangerous fight? What was she thinking?

He felt wetness on his cheeks when a sharp breeze rushed by and the light from the wind scar faded. He was crying. He had been too lost in his pain to notice much of anything as he stood there, staring in horror at the aftermath of the destruction he had caused. The destruction which led to Kagome's death.

His eyes widened when he saw Sesshomaru's silhouette emerging from the chaos. As the daiyoukai neared, he saw Kagome, very alive and very distraught in his arms. When Sesshomaru placed her down on her own two feet, she let out a shaky breathe and allowed herself to fall, still frazzled from the blast that she had just barely escaped.

"You fool." Sesshomaru bit out.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was at her side now, kneeling in front of her, "Are you alright! I didn't mean to-I mean, why did you-"

It wasn't long before the miko was completely surrounded.

"I was so worried!" Shippo cried out.

"Kagome, were you hurt?!" Sango asked incredulously, "Never do that again! We thought we lost you."

Kagome had been cradling her face in her palms. Slowly she peered up at all the worried faces surrounding her. She found Inuyasha's concerned eyes on her, emotion swirling freely in those amber depths and then she turned and Saw Sesshomaru standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable as their eyes met. She frowned and turned back to the hanyou kneeling at her side. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

"Inuyasha, we need to talk." she said softly, "Sesshomaru, I would appreciate if you joined us for this conversation."

**Okay, I told you guys I'm really not good with action scenes so sorry if this is a little over-wordy. I actually really worked hard on that scene. It's very difficult for me, and I know it really wasn't much and wasn't special in anyway. I hope it's not too confusing what happened or anything. I really tried, guys. Anyways, on with the plot! I'm glad I stuck with my original plan for this story rather than let myself get carried away again. After the last chapter, I had my doubts because I really hadn't planned on that whole thing happening just yet but bare with me. I think it's moving along nicely.  
**

**Please leave me some nice reviews. **

**I promise to make the next chapter very interesting! A lot of new developments are just around the corner. **

**MEA**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi, guys! Welcome back! I tried to be quick with this update since I had a long period of writers block. I also tried to make it decently long too so I hope you appreciate it! If you do, please tell me so in a review! I would love that! **

**Just to show my appreciation to your kind feedback, I wanted to respond to some reviews before I started the story, so here we go!**

**SpiderManda: **I love you too! Thanks for leaving a review even though you really didn't have to. And that is so sweet. Don't worry. I promise to have plenty of action between them in the near future, if you catch MY drift. Hehehe

** MissUndo: **Shoot, was it that obvious? LOL Well, I tried to make it stand out from other Kag/Sess stories but I do think this makes sense, despite it being sickeningly outplayed. Well I don't want to give away too much of this chapter so you'll just have to read on and find out how it all goes down! I hope you like it! I tried to make this chapter especially long and get it posted asap! Thanks for always reviewing, you really are great!

**Loxxi: **And so you shall have MOOAAR! Enjoy! :)

**shintochick: **Thank you so much! I've been trying to get some practice in. I'm glad you didn't hate it! That gives me a confidence boost like you can't even imagine! I hope you enjoy this chapter. ;)

**YourDarkestNightmare: **Hey thanks, I really tried! Action has never been my forte' but I hope that this chapter makes up for the lame battle scene. Here is your update and a big fat thank you for reviewing! :huggles!:

**Ashatan87: **Thank you for loving my story! I did my best to keep Sesshomaru and Inuyasha in character for this chapter so I hope you enjoy it!

**Okay, that covers it, I think! Please leave me some more reviews! I absolutely love reading what you guys have to say! Now, on with the story! :)**

* * *

The group fell silent at Kagome's odd request. All but Sango and the demon lord himself could not fathom why now of all times, Kagome would ask to speak not only with Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru too. They had only minutes ago been engaged in a vicious battle, in which she nearly died!

Perplexed, Inuyasha stood up and offered his hand to Kagome, helping her to her feet.

"I have nothing to say to that bastard." Inuyasha said, his words dripping with hatred. "To be honest, I don't understand why _you_ would want him around after he nearly just got you killed!"

Sesshomaru snickered causing the dumbfounded group to turn to him with shocked gasps at the uncharacteristic sound. "Funny, Inuyasha. I remember it quite differently." he said in his usual baritone, "However, I do agree that I need not be a part of this conversation."

Kagome let out a sigh. This was going to be harder than she had hoped, but probably not more than she expected. She had anticipated that the stubborn dogs would be less than agreeable in each others' presence. Lucky for her, she had a back up plan to make this work. "Inuyasha, don't be so difficult!" she started, first turning to the half-breed standing at her side, "all I ask is that you _sit _down and listen to what I have to say."

She smiled triumphantly when the word took effect and sent Inuyasha crashing into the ground, making it clear that he had no choice in the matter. Then she turne to Sesshomaru. "And you!" she snapped, scowling up at him, fire burning in her blue eyes, "You sure have a lot of nerve! Do you want my help or not?! I'm trying to set a few things straight here so you can either cooperate with me or you can march your arrogant ass right out of my life, for good! I've been more than helpful to you time and time again. If you had any honor at all you would at least stick around and hear what I have to say!"

Everyone was shocked to hear the way Kagome was speaking to Sesshomaru. They all took fighting stance, expecting him to lash out and kill her on the spot. Nothing prepared them for his unlikely reaction. After staring the miko down for a few moments, he wordlessly nodded his agreement and turned his back as if waiting for her. She gave a nod of approval and turned to the others now, not surprised to see their expressions of bewilderment.

"Kagome?" Shippo spoke up, speaking for everyone when he asked this question. "What do you mean you've helped Sesshomaru time and time again? What's going on?"

Kagome cleared her throat. Why did all of this mess have to fall on her? "Listen, guys. I know that you are all really confused right now and I promise to explain everything to the best of my ability but right now I really need to speak to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru alone, okay?"

Sango nodded a little too quickly and Miroku glanced at her suspiciously before turning back to Kagome. "We understand," he stated, "...I guess. We will return to the village."

Kagome smiled appreciatively at her departing friends before turning her eyes to Inuyasha who had pulled himself from the ground and was grumbling angrily to himself. He shot Kagome a suspicious look and she bit her lip nervously. This was not going to be easy at all but she had a pan; A plan that might be beneficial to all parties if she could just get these stubborn brothers to cooperate. Her heart sunk as she realized Inuyasha may not even forgive her after what she had to confess.

Trying to shrug off the bad feeling that was creeping up on her, she stretched her arms over her head casually and spoke up to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru who were both staring her down. "Well, let's go get comfortable first, shall we?"

She walked over to the spot where she had been sitting before Sesshomaru so rudely interrupted her and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head at what she saw there. Her schoolwork and textbooks had been torn apart due to the battle that broke out between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

"Oh no!" A strangled cry tore from her throat as she fell to her knees and dramatically sifted through the torn papers, attempting to put them back together. Her efforts were pointless, the books were torn apart, the papers ripped to shreds. All of her hard work was gone! Destroyed in that stupid, pointless battle! She felt her whole body shake in fury.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha studied her unusual antics. They exchanged a look when she tossed the crumbled papers into the air and let out an angry shriek. Then, she stood up and spun on her heel to face Sesshomaru, a fierce scowl on her face.

"This is all your fault!" she hissed, pointing an accusing finger into his chest. He glared down at the audacious female, curious as to what set her off this time.

"It is of no concern to me." he said casually, causing her to erupt in anger.

"OF NO CONCERN TO YOU?!" she shrieked, "Well this is of MUCH concern to me, buddy! See this?" she pointed down at the mess of papers on the ground, shakily, "_THIS_ is my future! And it's RUINED! I hope you're happy now, Sesshomaru!"

"Indeed." he replied, glancing at the heap of torn parchment, finding the whole situation rather amusing. "Perhaps if these _papers _were of such importance, then you should blame yourself for acting so carelessly with them, considering you were sleeping when I arrived."

"Oh, that's _rich_!" Kagome retorted angrily before going on another heated rampage.

Inuyasha watched the scene in shock and amazement. This is how Kagome treated _him_ when she was angry, but he had never seen her speak to Sesshomaru in this way! Since when did she become comfortable enough with his brother that she would speak so freely with him? Why wasn't she afraid of him? It didn't make sense to him at all. When Sesshomaru spoke back to Kagome, he also seemed different. In fact, when Inuyasha paid close attention to Sesshomaru's tone, he could detect a trace of humor in it as he argued back. He was egging her on, even_ teasing_ her! Since when did his human-hating half-brother ever tolerate this kind of attitude from a human girl, let alone encourage it?

'Why isn't Sesshomaru's claw in her throat right now, tearing her flesh apart?' the hanyou wondered to himself. Suddenly Kagome's words from earlier resounded in his head.

_ 'Do you want my help or not?!' _she had said, _'I've been more than helpful to you time and time again.' _

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he considered the meaning behind those words. Had Kagome been keeping something from him? About Sesshomaru? Was she...? He cleared his throat suddenly, interrupting the bickering couple. They both turned to face him with puzzled expressions, as if they had just noticed him standing there. There was definitely something going on and he didn't like it. A part of him wanted to turn and run. He almost didn't want to know. But he stood his ground and stared deep into Kagome's eyes as if looking for something there.

The constriction in his chest tightened when she stared back at him, the anger that had been burning in her blue eyes replaced with fear and guilt. Then, she looked away, ashamed. She could not even look him in the eye!

"Kagome," Inuyasha demanded, his voice raspier than he had expected, "Tell me what is going on right now."

She bit her bottom lip nervously for a few moments before she finally spoke up. "Inuyasha, I... I have to tell you..." she searched her mind for the right words. "I... have seen Sesshomaru before. Well... I have _been_ seeing him around." she admitted finally. "He... well I have been sharing some information with him for the past couple of months. I meant no harm. I know I should have told you and... I'm sorry. I just... didn't want to fight."

She stared down at her shoes and waited for Inuyasha's explosive reaction but it never came. In fact, her confession was met with the most unsettling silence she had ever experienced. Experimentally, she shifted her eye upward to meet Inuyasha's but his head was down, much like hers had been, hiding his facial expression from her view.

A few moments dragged by and Kagome could hear her heartbeat hammering wildly in her chest. Would he forgive her? She shouldn't have lied to him but was it really such a big deal that she had been meeting with Sesshomaru behind his back? She knew they didn't like each other but... would he really hate her over this? Over something so _stupid_?!

"Kagome," Inuyasha rasped. His voice did not sound like it belonged to him. It was low and dangerous, as if he were on the brink of insanity. She trembled and waited for him to continue. "What the hell have you been telling him?"

"Just things about me... and well, the future." she admitted softly. "And Naraku."

"She has informed me of her connection with the Shikon Jewel." Sesshomaru spoke up, bored with the display of emotion between his weak half-brother and the infuriating girl, "Can we cut the theatrics short and discuss the matter at hand; I need the miko to assist me in finding Naraku."

An animalistic growl tore from Inuyasha's throat suddenly, causing Kagome to gasp and step back.

"Bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, "She isn't goin' anywhere with you, and she sure as hell isn't gonna help you! She's mine!" he flexed his claw and lunged at Sesshomaru, "KAGOME BELONGS TO ME!"

Kagome frowned at Inuyasha's passionate words. His attack on Sesshomaru was easily dodged by the quicker demon, causing the half-breed to stumbled forward where Sesshomaru had been standing, swiping his claw at thin air.

"SIT BOY!" Kagome's voice rang out and Inuyasha collapsed to the ground instantly. She stomped over to where he lay, crossing her arms over her chest and stared down at him angrily. "Just _what_ did you say?" she hissed at him, "I do not belong to anyone but myself! I am a human being! Not some tool for you and Sesshomaru to fight over, got that? If you guys wanna fight like a couple of MORONS over the stupid sword then be my guest but leave me out of it or I won't help either of you with _anything_!"

She shot Sesshomaru a heated glance as she spoke. He gave her that same bored look that he always wore and she rolled her eyes. She was never going to get through to these baka brothers!

"Damn it, Kagome!" Inuyasha grunted as he pulled himself from the dirt. "Don't tell me you're considering helping this prick! Why would you even help him in the first place!? Have you forgotten all the crap he's put us through in the past?!" he turned from Kagome to growl up at Sesshomaru as he finished. "This bastard doesn't deserve your help or kindness!"

"I didn't do it just to help_ him_, Inuyasha." Kagome stated, "We need his help too. Whether you like it or not, Sesshomaru is strong. We need all the help we can get up against Naraku! I won't let your pride get in the way of this nor will I let some foolish sibling rivalry!"

Inuyasha huffed and sat up fully, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away.

Satisfied that Inuyasha was back to his old, stubborn self and not acting like some crazed, possessive lunatic anymore she turned her attention to Sesshomaru. "Look, I told you before that I would not abandon my friends and I meant that." she said. "I can understand your desire to hunt Naraku down while he's weak. We all want to find him. If you can agree to be respectful, then I will talk to them about joining packs. I think it would benefit all of us."

"No way, Kagome!" Inuyasha started, earning himself another sit command.

"What do you say, Sesshomaru?" she asked finally.

His eyes narrowed on her. Obviously he didn't take well to complying to this worthless human's demands. He was used to having his own way. He considered grabbing her and whisking her off like he had originally planned, but that plan was flawed. If she chose not to be honest about where to find the jewel shards, he would have no way of telling and could not force her to aid him. He needed her cooperation. He hated the idea of traveling with not just one human, but a whole pack. Her lips stretched into a smile as she awaited his answer and he wanted right then to wipe that smug look off of her face. He wanted to put an end to this little bitch's fragile life once and for all... but he couldn't.

"Meet me here with your answer." Sesshomaru said suddenly, his voice dangerously low. He spared a glance at Inuyasha who in turn, glared back at him. "Alone." he added.

Kagome rolled her eyes but Sesshomaru was already gone before she could respond. It was already dark and she didn't like the idea of coming back here to meet him so late without anyone accompanying her. Besides, how was she supposed to know _when_? He just had to get the last word in, didn't he?

Still, she had accomplished a lot in the past hour and she felt relieved that everything seemed to go according to plan, for now. She recalled the puzzled looks on her friend's faces and the fear they held towards Sesshomaru and realized that her troubles were far from over. It was bad enough that before she could even start for the village, Inuyasha's face was in her's, an ugly scowl contorting his features.

"Kagome, how _dare_ you invite that bastard to join us!" he shouted.

"Inuyasha, I've said my piece!" she hissed, getting very sick of his constant yelling. "Now, move out of my way! I have to go ask the others what they think!" She shoved past him and stormed towards the village, deliberately leaving him behind. She didn't see the sudden wave of relief that came over him. A confident grin stretched over his face.

'That's right!' he thought. 'The others have to agree too! Like hell they would!'

He let out a loud laugh and turned to follow Kagome down the path to the village, the grin never leaving his face.

'Once the others refuse to let Sesshomaru travel with us, he'll be out on his ass!' he thought happily, 'And then Kagome will be all mine and things will go back to normal.'

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**Well I hope this wasn't too cliche or anything. I wanted to avoid joining packs but I do have a few things planned and this just makes it all a whole lot easier! Sorry to take the easy way out, heheh. BUT! Here is a very long chapter to you guys! I can't thank you all enough for the reviews!**

**PLEASE if you are enjoying this story, leave a review for this chapter! I really appreciate the feedback! It keeps me motivated! **

**More good stuff to come. ;)**

**MEA**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, guys. So I'm sorry for the long wait. I've had a bit of writer's block but I'm working on it. I hope we're all still on the same page. I am trying to bang out these updates as often as possible but I know I mustn't rush myself either so please understand! **

**Another special thanks to all of you for your kind and helpful reviews. Here are my responses again, guys! **

**Guest:** You're telling me! That stubborn Inuyasha never get's anything through his thick skull, does he? But we'll see how Kagome feels about this possessiveness in the longrun, right? :) It is sure to come out and complicate a few things. That's for sure.

**XxMzMaryJaneWhitlockxX: **Hello there, welcome on board! I'm glad you're reading and reviewing so far! I know there hasn't been a lot of Sesshomaru's POV in these past couple chapters but I promise to let you in more on what he's thinking/feeling very soon. I hope you're not too impatient because I do intend to take my time with everything, that includes the action! It's coming, just not quite yet! I hope to read more of what you have to say. It's encouraging and very helpful so thank you.

**Fairy Demon26: **Hey, sorry about the confusing parts. I did tweak the chapter over and over again so I might have made some things more clear before changing it up. I guess I was pretty vague about that. Basically Kagome had said "I'll discuss joining packs with the others under these conditions" but Sesshomaru, being too stubborn to just come out and say yes, chose to make demands of his own. But it was meant to be his own proud way of agreeing. I think you figured it out in the end either way. I hope. Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I've got to work on being more specific about these things!

**MissUndo: **That you are! Hehe. Well, who knows... maybe Kagome & Sesshomaru's interaction is even a bit amplified in Inuyasha's head. We all know how jealous and possessive he is in the series, and there's no doubt he feels inferior to his brother. I tried portraying those things in the last chapter at least. Hope you continue to read and review! I look forward to reading what you have to say each chapter! ^_^

**Ashatan87: **I'm glad you liked it! I can't wait to see how this will go either! Hehe... As I've mentioned before, I really just let this story write itself. Hope you like it.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Doing my best! I apologize for the prolonged update but I hope you're still with me. Enjoy!

**windbreaking: **Hmmm, we'll see! ;) Of course Sango will always have Kagome's back but will she really be so accepting of a demon joining their group who has threatened and tried to kill them in the past? Read and find out ^^

**Loxxi: **Of course! You are most welcome! (n_n)

**Anika-san: **I actually understood that. Hehehe... or... erm... Jajajaja!

**Ankoku Desaia: **Thank you for the encouragement! I understand your disappointment but don't worry! I do intend to have Kagome and Sesshomaru alone time. This story is basically about Kagome confiding in him, after all. It wouldn't be confidential if it wasn't private, right? Thanks for the compliment about the characterization. I'm pretty big on keeping them in character. At least, I try to be! I am glad to hear I am doing a good job with that. I do intent to write some more action scenes and get some practice in. I hope to improve my skills. :}

**hinatarosehime:** Yes, there is more! Do not worry, I have not given up! I have just been experiencing some writer's block. I hope you stick with me here. :)

**Okiedokie! That does it for the review responses. (I'm not sure if I'm not allowed to do that or something but I find it much less time consuming and far more organized than just sending each of you private messages. I also feel sort of like a nuisance clogging up your inboxes like that. I hope it works out okay for everyone. Just let me know if I shouldn't be doing it this way or if you have a problem with it.) As always, thank you for the continued support, guys. Now on with chapter 13!**

"There ain't no way in hell I'm gonna stand for this!" Inuyasha yelled.

His voice echoed in Kagome's head and she found herself suffering from a severe headache. She let out a miserable sigh and massaged her temples. After sitting down and having a long talk with her friends, starting with the first encounter she had with Sesshomaru and finally ending with the question that took them all by surprise, she had hoped the drama was over for the night.

Unfortunately, after some long discussion of the cons and pros of Sesshomaru joining them on their quest and some reassurance from Kagome that the daiyoukai would not harm any of them, the remaining shard hunters had surprisingly agreed to unite with him. This, however, opened a fresh new can of worms for Kagome, as Inuyasha had yet to stop shouting since the unanimous agreement. Kagome realized now that the hanyou must have been counting on them saying no and now that things didn't go according to plan, he was hell bent on making the remainder of the night very loud and miserable.

"Please stop fussing, Inuyasha." Sango groaned, speaking for everyone. "Sometimes you are more temperamental than a child!"

"If you think I am going to sit back and allow that piece of shit to take over _MY_ pack then you are in for a rude awakening!" The seething half-breed hissed through clenched teeth. "How could you all go against me like this anyway?! I never took you all for traitors!"

Kagome had finally had enough. She got to her feet and shot the hanyou a very pissed off look. "That's it. I'm not going to listen to this a moment longer!" she announced irritably, "I am going to bed."

"Kagome, aren't you going to meet Sesshomaru and tell him what our answer is?" Shippo asked curiously.

"Nope." Kagome decided. "I have had my share of infuriating dogs for one day. I'll go talk to Sesshomaru first thing in the morning. Anyways, it serves him right for not being specific about when and where to meet him." She casually smoothed out the thin material of her green skirt and walked towards Kaede's hut where she left her sleeping bag.

"Very well." Miroku said, "Goodnight, Lady Kagome. Try to get some rest."

Sango nodded after her. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight, guys." Kagome murmured before disappearing behind the curtain that hung from the door frame.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted after her, "I AIN'T FINISHED!"

"SIT!" they all heard her shout from within the hut.

**_THUD!_**

"-Ooof!" Inuyasha groaned into the ground.

Shippo saw an opportunity to confide in his friends. "Do you guys really think Sesshomaru won't harm us?"

"Kagome seemed pretty confident he wouldn't." Sango replied thoughtfully. "And I, for one, trust Kagome's judgement."

Miroku nodded. "Yes, and he did save her life earlier today." he recalled, stroking his chin contemplatively. "He also was surprisingly tolerant of Kagome when she shouted at him."

"Yeah, that's right." Shippo softly agreed.

Sango couldn't wipe the grin from her face at the memory. "Kagome sure has guts to face off with Sesshomaru like that." she remarked, "It almost reminded me of the way she lays into Inuyasha when she gets angry."

Inuyasha was now sitting in his crater, angrily listening in on the conversation. He couldn't contain his rage any longer at hearing them discuss the situation with Sesshomaru as if it were no big deal. It was as if they were starting to _like_ his damn brother! He wouldn't stand for it! "What the hell is wrong with all of you?!" he asked through clenched teeth, careful to keep it down out of fear Kagome might use_ that word_ again. "How could you welcome Sesshomaru into the group with open arms after all that he's put us through!"

"Please try to be reasonable, my friend." Miroku said apologetically, "While I understand you do not have a great relationship with Sesshomaru, he is a worthy ally. Try to consider the benefits of this union."

"Like _WHAT_?!" Inuyasha barked, instantly clamping a clawed hand over his mouth. He had lost control of his voice for a minute there. He visibly relaxed when there was no angry shouting from inside Kaede's small hut and glared at the monk expectantly.

"Well, for one, Sesshomaru is strong, Inuyasha!" Shippo chimed, "If you two combine powers, there's no saying what you can do!"

"Like that asshole would ever cooperate with me!" Inuyasha bit out, "Besides, I manage just fine without his help! We don't need him!"

"Inuyasha, what is your main priority right now?" Miroku inquired.

Inuyasha glared suspiciously at the monk, knowing his tricks all too well. "Of course my priorities are finding the jewel shards and avenging Kikyo's death." the hanyou muttered, crossing his arms, "I don't see where Sesshomaru fits in."

"You are determined to find and destroy Naraku, as is your brother." Miroku stated wisely. "Can you not put your differences aside just until our quest is over then? If it came down to it, who do you hate more? Sesshomaru or Naraku?"

"It's a pretty close call." the stubborn hanyou bit out, "but Naraku is the first on my list to die."

"Then how about you just let this foolish sibling rivalry go for now?" Sango pleaded, "You are causing more trouble for yourself in the long run. Kagome has already agreed to help Sesshomaru and you know you aren't going to change her mind about this. Isn't it better to just let it be and have Kagome on your side? What if you annoy her to the point where she wants to leave us and find the jewel shards with Sesshomaru instead?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened and his jaw dropped. That wasn't possible! Kagome would never leave him, would she? Not for his brother! Still, the possibility was enough to scare him. He let out a frustrated growl and got to his feet.

"Besides, all your whining is giving me a headache." Shippo teased. He let out a cry of pain when Inuyasha's fist collided with his skull.

"Feh, whatever!" Inuyasha hissed, "You all want Sesshomaru's help so bad? Then fine! Don't ask me to save you when he loses his temper and tries to kill you all!"

The exasperated group watched their stubborn companion turn and dash off into the forest.

"This isn't going to be a fun." Shippo said with a pout, nursing the fresh lump on his head.

"You said it." Sango said through a sigh. "I sure hope Kagome knows what she's in for."

"As if her and Inuyasha's bickering wasn't bad enough," Miroku added. "I have a feeling her little spat with Sesshomaru was just a small preview of what is to come and I'm certain Inuyasha isn't going to make matters much better."

It was late and the group decided to retire for the night.

"Kagome! Kagome! Miss Kagome! _Wake up_! Please wake up!" The child-like voice stirred Kagome from her sleep. She let out a sleepy moan and rolled over on her stomach.

"Five more minutes, Mama." she pleaded into her pillow, her words muffled.

A girlish giggle rang out, causing Kagome's eyes to flutter open immediately. She didn't recognize this voice to belong to any of her companions, no less her mother! She groggily focused on the figure standing over her, staring down at her with wide, chestnut eyes and a pretty smile on her face.

"Rin is not your mother, Miss Kagome!" the child said mirthfully.

Kagome jerked awake now, sitting up and blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes and smiling broadly. "Rin! That's really you?!" Kagome asked incredulously, "What are you doing here?"

"My Lord has sent me here to find you, Miss Kagome." the girl said politely.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Of course he did. Why didn't she realize that before? "Your lord is a serious pain in the butt!" Kagome remarked causing Rin to pale and stare in disbelief. Kagome stretched and yawned. "Alright, alright. I just have to get dressed and make breakfast first."

"Rin will wait." the girl declared before going and taking a seat on the wooden floor. Kagome smiled at her polite nature and quickly fumbled through her backpack, finding a fresh uniform to change into and grabbing a pack of ramen. She emerged from the hut with Rin trailing behind her. She found the rest of the group already outside enjoying breakfast and decided to partake in the meal before getting dressed.

"This boar meat smells delicious!" Kagome commented as she approached the others.

"Ah, I see young Rin was able to wake you." Miroku mused with a handsome grin. Rin nodded shyly from behind Kagome.

"Inuyasha went and hunted this wild boar." Shippo explained, chewing on his portion of the meat. Kagome glanced around but didn't spot the hanyou anywhere.

"That's great!" Kagome said, taking a seat and accepting a wooden bowl of cooked meat from Sango. She offered some to Rin who timidly took a few bites. "Where is Inuyasha, anyway?"

"He's... pretty upset." Sango explained. "Perhaps you should talk to him, Kagome."

The miko sighed and began to eat. "Yeah, I guess I should." she agreed between mouthfuls of pork. "But first thing is first, I need to go speak with Lord High and Mighty."

She finished eating quickly, sharing half of her portions of meat with Rin and then decided to go seek privacy in the forest to get dressed. It didn't bother her that Rin followed her into the shade of a large tree. The girl was quiet as she slipped out of her pink checkered pajamas and into a clean uniform. "Well, I'm ready." the priestess announced, fluffing her hair a bit. "Where is Sesshomaru, anyway?"

"Come, this way, Miss Kagome!" the child said, scurrying off into the forest. Kagome sighed and did her best to keep up with the energetic girl. She was stressed out, between having to go meet with Sesshomaru and knowing a long talk with Inuyasha was well in order, she felt like all she did these days was talk her way out of every situation. She couldn't deny that a part of her was excited for Sesshomaru to join their group. She was especially happy that she would get to spend some time with Rin. She was so cute and well-mannered for a girl her age and Kagome knew it have every bit to do with her so called _lord_.

Somehow she just knew it was going to work out. Even if Inuyasha felt hurt and betrayed right now, he would see in time that this arrangement was for the best.

**Again, don't shoot me for the long awaited update! I know this isn't much either... kind of boring, in fact... but it was necessary so I hope you are all still with me. Next up, Kagome is going to have a chat with Sesshomaru and then she is going to speak with a certain rambunctious hanyou. ;) **

**I promise not to wait so long to update again! Love you all!**


	14. Chapter 14

**So... I was just talking about quick updates in my last chapter, wasn't I? Hehehehhe... ummmm... here's the thing. My house lost internet for a looong time and we finally just got it back. I've been tweaking this chapter in the meantime so it's finally here and I hope you guys don't totally hate me for my inconsistency. Anyways, this is gonna be a long one to make up for the long wait. I'm really sorry, you guys. Hope you still love me and this story. 3  
**

**dancingfingers: **Yeah, I get a headache just trying to write Inuyasha in character sometimes! Haha.. he can be such a stubborn dog-boy but we all love him, to an extent I think. :3

** MissUndo: **Hehehe just read on is all I have to say... xD

******YourDarkestNightmare**: Thank youuu! This was a really tough chapter to write. I hope it still keeps your interest! The story is picking uppp.

**lizzysakura21: **So sorry to keep you waiting, dear. I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. Please still love meh!

**ArsinoetheXXVII: **Hello! How refreshing to have a new reviewer! I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out and I hope I live up to your in-character expectations in this chapter. I really do try but it can be quite a challenge so I really appreciate your great feedback. It gives me that confident boost every writer needs now and then. Please continue to review. I would love to know what you think about the new installment.

**TheAllKnowingIsHere: **I might take you up on that offer since I am feeling very guilty for the long wait. But I am back and I hope this new chapter is to your liking. I promise promise promise not to make you wait so long again. *huggles!*

**XxMzMaryJaneWhitlockxX: **Well Sesshy and Kagome get a lot of airtime in this upcoming chappie so I hope you enjoy it, although this one isn't really as light as the other chapters. Stuff kinda gets reallll.. haha, okay so it's a lame chapter! But I really hope you stay with me because it's about to get so so so so so much better. Big planss. Thanks for reviewing as always!

**Again, thank you guys so much for all the encouragement. Please continue to give me some feedback, whether you hate this chapter or love it. It's kind of different from the other chapters so I hope it isn't too out there for you. Please enjoy!  
**

* * *

Kagome quickened her pace to keep up with Rin through the untamed forest, actually quite surprised at how well the young girl was handling herself maneuvering through the shrubs, vines and trees in their way. They had long ago abandoned the dirt path that branched out into a few clearings and Kagome was equally surprised to realize that Rin seemed to know where she was going.

She was beginning to wonder if the little girl had somehow obtained demonic speed or if she was just really out of shape. She huffed as she shoved past some more undergrowth, the only indication that she was still on Rin's heel was the orange blur of the girl's kimono before she disappeared into the greenery of the deep forest once again.

She was just about to shout for Rin to slow down when she parted and overgrown plan and, much to her relief, saw the girl standing in front of Sesshomaru himself, in all his elegant glory.

Kagome stumbled into this tiny clearing and promptly fell to the ground, panting heavily. She could feel Sesshomaru's contemptuous eyes on her.

"That kid.." she said breathlessly, "...is like... a freaking ninja... hah hah..."

"I am?" Rin asked incredulously.

"Rin, you did well." Kagome heard Sesshomaru say. She was touched by the gentleness in his voice when he addressed the young girl. She had never once heard him speak so gently, even if it wasn't exactly gentle by anyone else's standards. She found herself longing to hear the deep, rich voice fall from his lips again.

"Hai, my lord!" Rin said dutifully, indulging in his praise, "Rin went to the human village and got Miss Kagome just like you said! Rin was quick and did not get lost once! Rin saw a field of flowers on the way and wanted to stop but Rin remembered that-"

'Rin." Sesshomaru said, cutting off her boastful tirade. "Enough. Leave us."

Kagome had pulled herself up now and was kneeling on the grass watching the unlikely pair interact with a soft smile. It was just so..._ cute!_

The little girl pouted slightly. "But, Lord Sesshomaru-!" She began to protest. He pinned her with a look that said he was not to be reasoned with and she sighed before bowing her head obediently. "Yes, m'lord!" she said. "Farewell, Miss Kagome!"

"Bye, Rin." Kagome called after the child who had already disappeared into the wilderness. She glared up at Sesshomaru from her spot on the ground. "You didn't have to send her away, you know!" She said saucily. "I was enjoying talking to her."

"You have not come to talk with her." Sesshomaru replied indifferently. Kagome just sighed and crossed her arms childishly, waiting for him to continue. As expected, he got right down to business.

"We leave immediately, miko." he stated simply, "Gather your companions and meet me on the northern outskirts of that human village in two hours time. We may discuss our destination before departure."

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Um, I guess I can go ask them about it but-HEY! How did you even know that they agreed to let you join us?"

"It is simple. I was listening."

Kagome stared at him with wide, unbelieving eyes. "You were _eavesdropping_?!" she sputtered, "Oh my god, you really are a stalker!"

"I would not have wasted my time here without reassurance." he replied coolly.

She got to her feet now and began to wipe the dried leaves and grass from her green skirt. "Listen, buster!" she snapped, poking a finger into his metal chest plate, "Don't think that you can just join our pack and start barking out orders! This is still really tough on Inuyasha, as you might have '_heard'_ and I intend to smooth things over before we embark on this journey."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her and quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling it from his person and tightening his hold around. "I would advice against doing that again." he said coldly. "The half-breed is outnumbered by your pack. You do not require his blessing."

Kagome stared at Sesshomaru, slightly taken back. "But I want it." she said softly, "I... feel bad."

"For what purpose?" Sesshomaru inquired, seeming almost befuddled. Well, about as befuddled as one godly being such as himself could seem at least.

She felt her cheeks heat up at the question and purposely avoided it. "It's none of your business."

Sesshomaru stared at her and tilted his head slightly as if reading her emotions.

"You are infatuated with that honorless pup." he stated simply, as if it were a mere observation of little interest. She felt her face heat up and couldn't decide whether she was embarrassed or just pissed off.

"I said, _it's none of your business!_" she repeated hotly, stomping her foot to declare that this conversation was officially over. For someone so cold and emotionless, he sure was perceptive to human emotions. She thought deeply about what might have given her feelings for the half-breed away. Curiosity got the better of her and she found herself asking, "Humph! What would _you_ know about love anyway?"

"Essentially nothing." he said in a bored, flat tone, "but to those of us who are skilled, strategic fighters, such a weakness is rather easy to detect."

"Weakness..." Kagome repeated, her voice leaving her and being carried away by a breeze. She wanted to chastise him and tell him he was wrong; that love gave strength and empowered the weakest of beings to rise up and be something more but she found she could not access such optimism. The truth was, as she reflected on her feelings for Inuyasha, she_ did_ feel weak. Perhaps it was his constant rejection, or his distance that drained her of all confidence these past couple years but whatever it was, she certainly did not feel empowered or strong anymore.

A humorless chuckle passed her lips before she could stop it and the sound was foreign to her own ears. "Tell me then, oh observant one," she said suddenly, causing Sesshomaru to squint dangerously at her obvious ridicule, "If you can pick people apart so easily, how does Inuyasha feel about_ me_?"

Sesshomaru's eyes remained fixed on the girl but he did not speak for some time. She suddenly felt anxious, embarrassed and stupid for asking Sesshomaru such a thing. She had meant for it to come out sounding skeptical but her voice betrayed the desperation she felt. She was certain her face was red as a tomato too, and he probably could sense her discomfort as they stood in silence.

"Perhaps you should ask him yourself," Sesshomaru suddenly spoke. "Such trivial things are of no interest to me."

"I'm certain he does care about me." Kagome said softly, more to herself than to the judgmental demon in front of her. She fixed her eyes on the ground as they glossed over with unshed tears. "He doesn't feel the same way for me as I do him though, does he?" she glanced up at Sesshomaru, her face contorted with pain. "You don't think he loves me, do you?"

"Very perceptive, miko." he replied blandly, unsure of why he was even humoring this conversation with response. He was considering turning and walking away but something kept him in place as he watched the emotions shift over her features. 'If she cries', he decided, 'The minute this woman sheds a tear, I am leaving her to wallow in her self-pity alone.'

He was surprised to see her swipe at her eyes and then glance back up at him with a forced smile. "I guess I'm just at his mercy then." she said wryly, "A long time ago, I made a promise to Inuyasha to always stand by his side. I suppose I'll just have to wait until the bitter end and see whether he chooses to accept my love or reject it completely, but somehow I know that he will never fully return it, even if he _does_ accept it."

She was rambling again, she knew, but something about Sesshomaru brought this out in her. It even felt nice to say these things she kept hidden away inside herself out loud to someone. She didn't expect him to comfort or pity her. On the contrary. Perhaps that's what she liked about talking to Sesshomaru. There were no expectations. She knew he would not coddle her or simply say what she wanted to hear. He would only speak the truth and no matter how much it damaged her to hear it sometimes, it was worth hearing in her opinion.

"You are truly a pathetic, foolish woman." he chastised suddenly and he was a bit surprised when she answered his mocking words with a smile. Still, when she met his condescending eyes with her own deep blue, they reflected all of the pain and dejection she felt in that one fleeting moment. The moment felt too familiar, too _personal_ and he considered, not for the first time, walking away.

"You wouldn't understand." she said shakily. "You... You've never been in love, have you, Sesshomaru?" He sneered at the ridiculous question and she stared off with a knowing smile on her face, though her eyes were distant and sad. "Of course you haven't." she answered herself, looking up to the sky now as if deep in thought. "You know, I really envy you."

He decided it was time to put an end to this inane conversation. This girl, as the Shikon miko held great responsibility to this world. Why should she indulge in such trivial fantasies of love, especially with his useless half-brother?

Not only that but she had successfully made him feel uncomfortable and that was not something the proud demon lord was accustomed to. He decided he was actually quite annoyed with this obnoxious woman. "The whelp does not see you as a potential mate. He lacks the show of affection and courtesy that Inuyoukai display with their intended. He shows severe possessiveness towards you but nothing more. A brash and witless half-breed such as Inuyasha wears his heart on his sleeve. It would be obvious if he harbored such feelings for you."

Kagome gasped. Not only had Sesshomaru spoken far more than she had ever expected him to, but his words hurt. They really cut deep and she found herself fighting back tears with great effort. Was this true? Could Sesshomaru really tell so easily how Inuyasha felt about her when she had been trying to figure out _just that_ for years? Had she wasted all this time...?

He waited for her to cry or run away but she did neither. She, in fact, made him feel even more uncomfortable by turning her oceanic blue eyes to his and lingering there as if searching for deceit where she would certainly find none. While his words were harsh, they were not untrue. He could only hope she would listen to him and turn her attention away from such pointless distractions now.

"Forget him." Sesshomaru said icily, "Focus on your duties as a priestess. Carry yourself with dignity. Inuyasha is merely a liability that Naraku can and will use against you should you allow him to."

He decided to let his words linger. He was impressed when the pain dissolved from her face and she now wore an indifferent mask much like his. Perhaps she wasn't as pathetic as he previously thought. Still, she didn't say a word and he didn't care to hear anything more she had to say now.

"You will gather your companions and meet me in two hours-"

"Yeah, yeah, in the northern outskirts of the village." she interrupted. "I got it." He simply nodded and turned to walk away. "Sesshomaru, stop!" she called after him. He cast her a sideways glance and she flashed him a sheepish grin. "You can't just leave me here, doofus! I don't know my way back!"

Had he been a lesser being he would have rolled her eyes at her but he still couldn't deny how impressed he was with her quick recovery. She had been on the brink of tears only moments ago and now she was smiling and joking as if their awkward conversation had never occurred. He walked her back towards the human settlement in silence. Much to his relief she did not seem to want to talk anymore and he had nothing more to say. He only had one thing on his mind; the many ways he would torture Naraku before finally bringing the abomination to an end.

Kagome couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when the village came to sight and Sesshomaru was finally _out_ of sight. She frowned deeply as she walked towards population. After a conversation like that, she didn't know what to think. Could she really trust Sesshomaru's take on the whole situation with Inuyasha? She was stupid to even ask him but... the things he said still plagued her mind. He clearly had a motive to be so cruel. He didn't want her thinking about Inuyasha. He wanted her to focus on hunting down Naraku. She didn't take him as a demon to make up lies just to get his way though.

"Kagome, are you alright?" She was startled by the familiar voice and lifted her gaze to see Sango's concerned brown eyes staring at her. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized she was entering the village.

"Huh? Oh, yes, Sango. I'm fine." Kagome said slowly. "Uh... where's Inuyasha?"

"He's with the others now. I think he was purposely avoiding you, Kagome." Sango answered, "So how did it go with-Kagome?!"

Before Sango could finish questioning her friend, Kagome had taken off full speed towards Kaede's hut. She stared after her friend in shock. She had never seen Kagome run so fast in her life.

'Where was this speed when I was chasing Rin earlier?' Kagome wondered vaguely as she sprinted through the settlement, catching the bewildered looks of villagers as she blurred past them on her way. If Inuyasha was avoiding her, she would catch up to him, subdue him if she had to and _make_ him talk to her! There was only one way to find out if what Sesshomaru said was true and that was through the half-breed herself. She decided she could not wait around to find out if she was only going to be rejected in the end. The longer she waited, the worse it would hurt and she had to move on if he truly did not return her feelings for him.

"Kagome!" Shippo cheered when he saw her quickly approaching. His face fell when she whooshed right past him and he stared after her with a confused pout. She felt kind of bad for snubbing him like that but he was a resilient kid and he would get over it. She had to find Inuyasha, _now_!

By the time she reached the old hut, her lungs were burning and she allowed herself to slow down. She saw the familiar red of Inuyasha's robes and keeled over right in front of him, resting her hands on her knees and panting for air. She decided after today she woiuld never run again.

"Kagome, what in the hell?!" she heard Inuyasha say, "What's wrong? Is there a demon?! Were you being chased?!"

His concern brought a smile to her lips and she began to feel a bit more optimistic as she glanced up at him breathlessly. "Ahh... no, Inu... yasha. I'm fine.. I was.. looking for... you."

He noticeably tensed and crossed his arms stubbornly, his attitude back in place now that he knew there was no threat. "Humph! What for? I thought you were going to talk to that bastard, Sesshomaru?"

"I...I did." Kagome answered, finally catching her breath and standing up straight. She wiped a droplet of sweat from her face and stared deep into Inuyasha's eyes. "He wants us to meet him in two hours but before that, I really need to speak with you privately, Inuyasha."

The hanyou studied Kagome suspiciously and almost declined but the look of desperation on her face made him reconsider. "Feh, this better be good." he huffed before hunching over and allowing Kagome to climb on his back. He took off towards his favorite spot so they could speak, curious as to what Kagome would say to him. Would she apologize for being so inconsiderate? 'Well, she better.' he thought. "Okay, here were are, Kagome." Inuyasha said, setting her down next to the sacred tree where they first met. "Now tell me what you want to talk about."

She sighed and stretched, wondering just how to go about this. Inuyasha was a subtle creature and any talk of intimacy or their relationship would have him shying away and acting aggressively towards her. She had to go about this in the right way. She had to ask the right questions.

"Inuyasha, what am I to you?" she finally decided on.

He stepped back with a frown. "You're Kagome, what else?" he snapped defensively. "What the hell are you getting at anyway?!"

Okay, so that was clearly the wrong approach. She sighed and wracked her brain for other ideas. "I just mean... when Naraku is defeated and you and Kikyo are reunited, what will I be to you?" she prodded, impressed at her own cleverness. This, of course, was a trick question and his answer would tell her everything she needed to know. "I was wondering if we will stay friends or if we will go on as if we never knew each other..."

He gaped at her clearly caught off guard. "W-What do you mean?" he stammered, "I mean, what the hell are you worrying about that for _now?_"

"Before I go on, I would really like to know." She said confidently.

He sighed and thought seriously about the question, wondering when Kagome had finally come to terms with his relationship with Kikyo. "We'll be the same as we are now." he finally said, "Nothing will change between us."

Kagome's heart fell at his words. "I see." she said calmly. "Nothing at all then?"

"No. Why would it?" He replied, his cheeks tinged pink.

She chewed on her bottom lip trying not to cry. When the breeze picked up and she felt wetness against her cheek, she realized she had failed.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha questioned, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong? You're crying. Aren't you... happy with how things are?"

"Of course I am, Inuyasha." Kagome said, wiping at her tears. "These are tears of joy. I'm just so happy that we can remain friends, even when you're... with Kikyo again." Inuyasha frowned deeply at those last words.

She had been testing him and he had failed miserably. Not only had he not denied choosing Kikyo in the end, but he confirmed her worries that their relationship would never flourish. He intended for it to stay how it was. He never did intend to be with her romantically and she felt herself becoming saddened and angry but she kept it all hidden away within, trembling from the effort.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Inuyasha asked sharply, stirring her from her inner-turmoil.

"Saying what?"

"You know what." he said, "You keep mentioning Kikyo. What does she have to do with this?"

"Nothing, Inuyasha." she stammered, "I just assumed when you are with her again, we may not be able to remain friends."

"I never said I would be with her again." he said roughly.

"You never said you wouldn't." Kagome pointed out.

He visibly faltered at that and Kagome forced out a laugh. "Don't worry about it, Inuyasha." she said codly, matching Sesshomaru's devious tone. "If I thought you and I would ever be together as long as Kikyo still roams this earth, I'd be a very pathetic, foolish woman. Wouldn't you agree?"

The half-breed stared at her incredulously, not knowing what to say. She was angry. Not as much with him as she was with herself. She had always known how he felt for his past lover but she chose to stand by him anyway out of optimism and hope. She had been such an_ idiot_! She had been in denial and chose to ignore the surefire signs that were always there. He walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. She snapped her head in his direction and glared at the offensive hand. She wanted to scream at him and tell him not to touch her. She wanted to sit him until he was so deep in the earth she no longer had to look at him. She was trembling with rage.

Smiling, she brushed his hand from her shoulder and walked away.

"Kagome? I don't think you're foolish or pathetic." he said after her.

"Okay, Inuyasha." she repied, "Let's just head back now. Sesshomaru said to meet him and we don't have much time to pack."

"I ain't worried about taking orders from that bastard." Inuyasha snapped, reminded of the situation the priestess had carelessly placed him in with his elder brother. "Anyways, are we finished talking?"

"Yes, I'm finished." she said hotly.

"So... we're going to stay how we are then, Kagome?" Inuyasha questioned hopefully.

"Yes, Inuyasha, whatever you want." she repied, "Can we please get back now? I have a jewel to complete and an evil demon to destroy." She decided that Sesshomaru was right; he was_ beyond_ right. It was time to focus on what was important. She and Inuyasha walked side by side to meet the others, one with a heavy heart and the other with a content smile on his face.

'I feel much better after that talk.' the hanyou thought, oblivious to the heartbroken girl beside him. 'Now I know Kagome won't leave my side like she promised. I'm free to love Kikyo and keep Kagome to myself. Even that bastard Sesshomaru can't bring me down now.'

**Okay, okay, okay... so once again, this is an actionless, dramaful and very wordy chappie. I don't know if I'm very happy with it but it is definitely a turning point so I hope it's okay with you guys. I'm sorry for the melodrama but now that the gang is going to start traveling, things are really going to pick up! Lots of fun stuff on the way so please stay tuned. I have internet back so hopefully the next installment won't take so long. I am already halfway through! I love you all for your kind reviews thus far!  
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	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, guys! I decided to shorten this chapter and work extra hard on the next one tonight so that I could upload it quickly and keep the chapters rolling in. Please leave a kind review if you get the chance, and enjoy the latest chapter. :)  
**

**I Love The Stuff I Comment On: **You're welcome! I hope this update was quick enough for you. I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters. I am just taking my time with this story. I really want to portray it perfectly. Please enjoy.

** chaosandtechno: **Thank you. Your feedback is so very appreciated!

******Spidermanda**: I know I've taken a long time to update. It just means I'm putting a lot of time and effort into making the chapters just right. ILY!

**satuross: **Thanks so much for saying so. You inspired me to shorten this chapter so I could post it earlier so I hope this can suffice your update craving for the time being. I hope you enjoy the newest installment and thanks so much for the support. I hope I continue to keep you entertained with my writing.

**Loxxi: **Here ya go! Inuyasha is a bad puppy but I'm glad to say, he's slightly more obedient in this chapter.

**MissUndo: **Oh wow, I feel bad for you. I think I'd go nuts if I were Kagome and had to be around someone like Inuyasha all the time. He's endearing sometimes but mostly, I just find him to be incredibly rude and selfish throughout the series. Too bad you can't get subjegation beads for that certain someone you know who acts like him... but just imagine! LOL Hope you like this new chappie.

**XxMzMaryJaneWhitlockxX: **I'm glad you got through the drama stuffs well. Heheh. I like writing that kind of thing too but it seems like everyone wants more action so I felt bad for the placement of that particular chapter. Well things are just getting heated up now (hehe) I hope you like this new chapter. Thanks so much for always reviewing! You're super awesome! :)

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After meeting in the outskirts of the village as planned, the two groups merged and discussed where to continue their search for Naraku. They had been at a loss for ideas at first until Sesshomaru brought up the state of the jewel.

"Does Naraku possess all of the remaining shards or are there others?" he had queried, looking only at Kagome as he spoke. She shrugged in response.

"I'm not certain." she said, "The only other two shards I know of are possessed by a friend of mine, Kouga. He's a wolf demon."

The name sounded vaguely familiar but Sesshomaru paid no mind to it. "This wolf possesses shards?"

"Yes, he has two in each of his legs." Kagome answered wondering why he wouldn't address anyone else in the group. She felt a little awkward conversing with him as if her friends weren't even there.

"We shall go to his territory and demand his shards." Sesshomaru said simply.

Kagome paled and was about to protest but Inuyasha spoke up for her. "Hell no!" he snapped, "I've already got to deal with _you_ and I am NOT going to see that damn mangy wolf, too!"

"It's actually a good idea." Sango said, "It's about time we got those shards from him. Besides, we may get closer to Naraku in seeking him out. I'm certain Naraku is going to make a move soon and he has had his eyes on Kouga's shards for some time. I'm willing to bet he pays Kouga a visit before he even considers showing himself to us."

"I agree." Miroku added. "It is the best course of action."

"Inuyasha has a point." Kagome said anxiously, drawing the attention of the group. "Kouga won't give up his shards so willingly and I highly doubt seeking him out would bring us any closer to Naraku."

"I don't recall Inuyasha saying anything like that." Sango remarked with a knowing grin. "I think you have your own reasoning for not wanting to see Kouga, Kagome."

Sesshomaru glanced at the miko with mild interest. He had been listening to the banter dispassionately until she spoke up. He took note of her obvious anxiety at the mention of visiting this wolf demon. He wondered what her relationship to him was to have her so apprehensive to see him. He also noticed how Inuyasha gritted his teeth and shook with rage. It was the same display of possessiveness he had shown in that clearing. He couldn't help the rising curiosity he felt. If this wolf prince did not bring them any closer to Naraku, he may at least prove to be entertaining.

"Kagome, while I understand your reluctance, I think this is our only option." Miroku said. "Unless you have some other idea, I believe we are inclined to go."

"I'm certain you could get Kouga to hand over his shards, Kagome!" Shippo said, causing her to blush a bit.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "If it means that we're going to get his shards, then I'm game." he huffed, "A weak demon like him has no business using the power of the jewel. He's just gonna get himself killed."

Kagome was clearly outnumbered so she could only slump her shoulders and nod her approval not that she was very willing to see Kouga right now. It wasn't the wolf demon she feared seeing, but the fight that was sure to break out between him and Inuyasha. Sure, she had gotten used to breaking them up over the years but after her recent discovery with the half-breed's true intentions, she wasn't so sure how she would take hearing Inuyasha lay a claim over her again and again. He had no right to call her his if he had no intention of making her so. She was sure to lose her temper and knew this meeting would become one big mess. Thus was her life though.

"We leave for the eastern mountains now." Sesshomaru said with finality before turning and walking in said direction.

The group exchanged bewildered looks before shrugging and following his lead.

* * *

A few days had passed as the two groups traveled separately for the wolf tribe's territory. Already Sesshomaru's presence was showing promise since most of the humans in the group were reluctant to ask the ruthless demon to stop for breaks, afraid of how he might react. They would only stop once midday for a quick lunch and finally settle down for the night to sleep. They were always early to rise and continue their escapades. There were very little delays to slow their progress. In three days they had covered more ground than they normally would have in a weeks time. They were already closing in on the eastern mountains. At their rate, they might arrive in another day or so.

Sesshomaru, Jaken, Rin and the two-headed dragon, Ah Un always kept a good pace ahead of the others. They also made camp separately. Kagome would have argued that Sesshomaru was being stubborn but she found that the more distance between he and Inuyasha, the less aggravation for her. She had no intention of breaking up anymore fights between the feuding brothers. If they decided to kill each other, she might just let them at this point.

It was late afternoon on a hot, humid day. The sun was beating down relentlessly on the tiring humans as they walked on. Sango decidedly had enough and approached Kagome who seemed very distracted. She made her presense known to the absent miko by clearing her through. When Kagome started and looked at her questioningly, she spoke under her breath in hopes that a certain daiyoukai wouldn't pick up their conversation with his superior hearing. Sure, he was a good distance away but she had no idea what a demon of his caliber was capable of.

"Kagome, we need to stop." Sango said bluntly. "If we continue on like this, we will pass out from heat exhaustion!"

"It's not so bad." Kagome lied. She could feel the beads of sweat rolling down her face. She knew Sango could see right through her bull shit and heaved out a sigh. "Let me guess. You want me to go talk to Sesshomaru?"

"That would be ideal." Sango said with a grin.

"Why do_ I_ have to ask him?" Kagome whined. She knew why but she really didn't feel like asking his permission to do_ anything_. After their last encounter in the forest, she felt weak and vulnerable in his eyes. To go to him now and ask him for a much needed break would only confirm how weak she was and her pride wasn't ready to take that blow.

"You know as well as I do that you are the only one of us he will even acknowledge." Sango said suspiciously. "Why are you acting so timid now. I know you would have said something long ago had Inuyasha been leading the way. Don't tell me you're suddenly afraid of him..?"

"Afraid of _him_? HA!" Kagome huffed. "Let me borrow Kirara and I'll go catch up with him and TELL him we need a break!"

"Sure thing." Sango said with a humorous spark in her eye. She knew if anything would set Kagome to the task, that would be it. She let the firecat in her arms down and stepped back while she transformed. Inuyasha and Miroku had stopped now and were watching as Kagome pulled herself up on the large cat demon's back.

"I"m going to-"

"Yeah, yeah, we heard." Inuyasha said, interrupting Kagome's explanation. "It's about time." she heard him mutter under his breath. She smiled knowingly. Even the brash hanyou who was always pushing them farther was unused to this pace. The heat and strenuous effort were probably getting to him as well but the reason he hadn't said anything or insist they stop was the same reason as Kagome's. He didn't want to appear weak before his brother.

"Well, wish me luck." Kagome mumbled before Kirara carried her ahead towards the demon lord and his wards.

As she closed in on the smaller pack, Sesshomaru stopped, most likely having sensed her approaching. He stood his ground and waited for her to land behind him, then he turned to face her with his eyebrow raised in question.

"Hey.. uh, how goes it?" Kagome asked awkwardly. A confused grimace took over his usual blank stare and Kagome mentally kicked herself. 'How goes it? _Really?!_' "N-Nevermind, Sesshomaru." she started, "Look, I was wondering if we could take a break. The heat is really getting to us humans. It's very humid today and we need to be at our best if we're going to confront Naraku."

"You're asking permission?" he said snidely, "In that case, no. We cannot afford any unnecessary delays."

"You heard him, wench!" Jaken spoke up loudly, for the first time since their union. "Return to your weak human companions and leave us in peace!"

"That's enough from you!" Kagome snapped at the unsightly toad. She was fuming. The heat was already getting to her and now Sesshomaru thought it a good idea to mock her? He was about to get a mouthful when a soft sound caught Kagome and Sesshomaru's attention. They both glanced to Ah Un, where Rin was sprawled on the large beast's back. Her hair was damp with sweat, her face flushed and she appeared to be very weak.

"Nnngh... Lord... Sessho-maru." she moaned in a small, sickly voice. His eyes widened in utter terror. How hadn't he noticed the state of his young ward? Could she possibly be suffering from this_ heatstroke_ he heard the slayer mention earlier? He was so taken by surprise that he hadn't noticed Kagome's quick reaction. She fell to her knees and scrambled through her large backpack until she located a water bottle. The water was lukewarm but better than nothing. She didn't waste a second before she was at Rin's side, helping the child into a sitting position and bringing the drink to her chapped lips.

"Oh my gosh! Rin! Are you alright?" Kagome asked frantically. It was obvious she was very concerned. Sesshomaru watched with fascination as she handled the young girl as if she were her own. The priestess, oblivious to his watchful gaze, allowed Rin to drink from the water bottle but had to occasionally pull it away so that she didn't drink too much at once and get sick. When the bottle was nearly empty, Kagome used one of the hair elastics she kept on her wrist to tie up the girl's hair so it wouldn't cover her face and neck. "Rin, if you weren't feeling good then why didn't you say something sooner?"

She felt the girl's forehead and frowned. Her skin was so hot it practically burned her hand.

"Thank you... Miss Kagome." Rin managed out. She still appeared to be very weak. "Rin wanted.. to be... strong for.. Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru was outraged by that comment. She chose to suffer in silence rather than let him know she was in poor condition? What sense did that make? He narrowed his eyes on the little girl, not liking what he saw. She seemed to be overheating. She was almost on the verge of fainting. His jaw clenched as he considered his options. At this point, the hanyou and his human disciples were closing in on them, even at their slow pace. Worry was evident on Sango and Miroku's features.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome snapped at him, "We need to get Rin out of the sun and into some shade, _now!_" He didn't know much about treating a human in such a condition so he decided not to question the miko's methods. She surely had more experience with such things. Without a second thought, he was at Rin's side, scooping her tiny, limp body into his one arm. He turned to face the group with the weak child in his hold.

"There is a human village about two miles this way. I am going. I'm sure Inuyasha will be able to track my scent should he need to." With that, he and Rin were gone, leaving even Jaken and Ah Un behind.

"Wait for me, My Lord!" The impish creature squawked after the departed youkai. Kagome rushed to Inuyasha and began to climb up on his back without warning.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he sputtered angrily.

"What do you think?!" Kagome hissed, "Follow him now and hurry! I need to help Rin. I don't think Sesshomaru has any idea how to help her!"

"He didn't ask for your help." Inuyasha remarked.

"It's not _him_ I wish to help this time." Kagome sassed back, "Inuyasha, take me to Rin right now or so help me, I will-!"

"Calm down!" the half-breed snapped, allowing her to position herself more comfortably on his back. "I'm going, alright!?" Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara watched their two companions disappear in a blur of green and red. They exchanged looks.

"Well what should we do?" Sango asked the monk. He shrugged.

"Sesshomaru mentioned a village nearby. I suppose we can go stock up on supplies, grab some food for everyone and meet up with the others later."

"Sounds like a plan!" Shippo exclaimed.

"You don't suppose Kagome will need our help to care for Rin?" Sango pressed.

"She knows what she's doing." Miroku assured her. "Besides, I don't think Sesshomaru wanted any of us to follow. Even Kagome."

"Well if he knows what's best for Rin, he'll let her help." Sango said with a sigh. Sango, Miroku and Shippo hopped on Kirara's back and headed in the direction Sesshomaru said the village would be.

"Wait for me!" Jaken shouted after them. "Why am I always getting left behind?!"

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**The next chapter will be better. It is already in progress so please don't attack me for the long waits. I shortened this and uploaded it earlier to hold you guys over. I hope you likey! Please leave me a review! Your comments always fuel my writing abilities. Not meaning to bribe but it's simply the truth. Hope you all are still with me. Your support has really made writing this fiction so enjoyable.  
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